California Coastal Views

Differing points of view are essential to the development of the California Coastal Trail. This blog will provide an easy means through which those who love the coast can share their work with others, and have an impact on coastal public policy issues.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

As I delivered a solar power generator to Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods yesterday, to be used to bring electrical power to mountain meadows and campgrounds, I had a strange idea on how we might look at another policy decisions affecting the coast.

One of the most controversial issues facing the North Coast is the request from California's Parks and Recreation Department to install fee collection devices in parking areas along the coast to charge for automobile parking. The fees are necessary because the state general funds are being cut back by the Legislature, and parks are being required to raise funds locally to pay for operational costs.

Maintenance of restrooms in parking lots generates the bulk of the costs for which the parking fees are being introduced. Elsewhere in the state, access to the coast is being maximized by installing controllable electronic fees collection devices which encourage turnover and minimize all-day parking. Installation of these devices on the North Coast is made more difficult because few have electricity onsite.

What if we install solar power generators on top of the restrooms, and charge to use the restrooms? My wife says the downside of this is that visitors might try to find somewhere else to relieve themselves. One of the current arguments against charging to park is that visitors will find somewhere else to park. So the question in my mind is: which is the greater harm?

And we create a mobile phone app which knows you bought a state parks annual pass. Aim it at the restroom door, and it unlocks. No onsite collection of fees. A real incentive for buying a parks pass. If we standardize the state, regional, and local pass privileges, all parks benefit. And we can collect lots of good info on who is visiting our parks, and can let them now about all of our park activities in a timely manner.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

One of the first battles to save the California coast from the pressures of a development occurred in 1929 when local commercial interests urged building a high-speed highway through Torrey Pines City Park. The proposed road was designed to bypass a narrow, winding grade which created a bottleneck on the major thoroughfare between San Diego and Los Angeles. One scheme called for blasting away 1,700 feet of sea cliff for a straight, more gradual right-of-way from the beach to the mesa top. Debris from the cutting in the new alignment was to be dumped onto the public beach. One scenic canyon was to be crossed on an embankment of fill, and another spanned by a bridge.

Opposition to this proposal was led by The League to Save Torrey Pines Park. Its members felt the best solution was to build a new road to the east via Sorrento Valley, skirting Torrey Pines altogether. In a brochure that addressed numerous reasons for preventing the road, the League answered its own rhetorical question, "Is the danger to the Park very pressing?" with the following blast: "So pressing that only an immediate and emphatic expression of public disapprobation can save the heritage of the people from a defilement which will bring upon its perpetrators the condemnation of generations yet unborn." A compromise was reached in 1930, and a grade (old Highway 101, now North Torrey Pines Road) was cut through the upland instead of along the cliffs. The region's modern freeway (Interstate 5) was eventually built east of Torrey Pines, following the route favored by the League 40 years earlier.

Follow the current efforts to protect the coast and continued access to it at the following websites:

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Coastwalk California has changed it's webpages, and the look is great. Registration is now open for the 2014 Coastwalk season, and the re-design makes it even easier to sign up. Improved mapping to the California Coastal Trail is coming, and be sure to keep an eye out for their assistance to your advocation for protecting access to the California coast.

Kudos to its young staffers, Hannah Faire Scott and Stephanie Picard-Colomb.

Monday, December 30, 2013

In 2008 the State Coastal Conservancy supported 147
projects along California’s coast and around San Francisco Bay with awards
totaling more than $102 million. The Conservancy’s support for these projects
is leveraging more than $178 million from the federal and local governments and
private organizations. The funds are being used to protect natural lands,
improve wildlife habitat, support local economies, and help people enjoy the
coast and the Bay Area. The majority of the Conservancy’s funding came from
resources bond acts approved by the State’s voters in 2000, 2002, and 2006.

To accomplish its goals the Conservancy relies on
partnerships with local communities and more than 100 nonprofit organizations
based in all parts of the coast and around San Francisco Bay. This network
ensures that local residents inform the Conservancy about coastal needs and
opportunities and are actively involved in the Conservancy’s work.

For Public Access along the length of the coast, the
Conservancy:

• awarded $600,000 to Coastwalk to sign and map existing
and new segments of the California Coastal Trail and to provide information
about the trail to the public. The trail’s emblem will be placed on 300 miles
of the trail and maps will be posted on Coastwalk’s website. The maps will
assist in the planning for new trail segments. (November)

For Stewardship of Coastal Waters, the Conservancy:

• provided $600,000 to Trout Unlimited to prepare a
feasibility study of water conservation recommendations for between five and
eight key watersheds along California’s coast. Part of the study is being
directed toward the design of agricultural water-storage facilities that would
help maintain year-round instream flows for the benefit of salmon, steelhead
trout, and other wildlife. (April)

SOUTH COAST

For the length of the South Coast, the Conservancy:

• provided $275,000 to the Department of Fish and Game for
planning and permitting necessary for restoration of State Ecological Reserves
at the Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles and Buena Vista and San Elijo lagoons in
northern San Diego County. The three reserves offer significant opportunities
for improving some of the most important remaining wildlife habitats on the
South Coast. (December)

• provided $50,000 to Environment Now to continue its
management of the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project’s Local
Assistance Program. The Program supports local organizations engaged in
wetlands protection and restoration through technical assistance, regional
coordination, and public outreach. (September)

For San Diego County,the Conservancy:

• awarded $680,000 to the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy for
planning and permitting necessary for restoration of San Elijo Lagoon in
Encinitas. The work will lead to improvements in the lagoon’s water circulation
and wildlife habitat and provisions for long-term maintenance and management.
Although severely degraded, the lagoon is a valuable component of the network
of habitats for birds and fish along the South Coast. (December)

• approved use of $600,000 for planning and permitting
necessary for restoration of Buena Vista Lagoon State Ecological Reserve in
Carlsbad and Oceanside. Urban development around the lagoon has constricted its
habitat, and flows of sediments that settle in the lagoon threaten its
continued existence. The lagoon supports a wide diversity of wildlife and is a
prized amenity to the community. (December)

• awarded $297,000 to the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon
Foundation to continue periodic openings of the lagoon mouth at Los Peñasquitos
Lagoon, adjacent to Torrey Pines State Reserve in the City of San Diego. The
lagoon openings—funded by the Conservancy since 1985—are necessary to maintain
water quality in the lagoon, which is home to several endangered and threatened
species of wildlife. (April)

• awarded $425,000 to the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive
Association to study how sediments are transported in the coastal nearshore at
the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. The study will assist in
the review of current policies regarding sediment discharge and deposition in
California and may well lead to lower costs for restoration projects and better
use of sediments for beach nourishment and other purposes. (September)

• granted $380,000 to the City of San Diego for final
designs, permit applications, and environmental review for improvements to
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park on the western edge of Point Loma. The proposed
improvements include trail construction and repair, restoration of native plant
communities, and control of water runoff that is severely eroding bluff
terraces. (September)

• provided $238,000 to San Diego EarthWorks to complete a
detailed assessment of the Rose Creek watershed in the City of San Diego and to
develop alternatives for the watershed’s restoration. The watershed serves as a
wildlife corridor between Poway and Mission Bay and is a major contributor of
pollutants to the Bay. The grant follows $150,000 contributed by the
Conservancy for the project in 2005. (January)

• granted $150,000 to the San Diego River Conservancy to
prepare plans for a system of public trails in tributary canyons of the lower
San Diego River in the City of San Diego. The new trails will replace
hazardous, erosion-prone footpaths and provide upland communities with safe
hiking and bicycle access to river amenities, including a community park being
planned for the Qualcomm Stadium area. (June)

• awarded $76,000 to the San Diego State University
Foundation to develop a plan for data collection and restoration in the San
Diego River watershed. The goals of the plan are to identify causes of poor
water quality, flooding, and habitat degradation and to engage individuals and
organizations in the watershed’s restoration. (December)

• provided $22,000 to the Endangered Habitats Conservancy
for planning and permitting necessary for the restoration of native plant
communities in Swan Canyon in the City of San Diego’s City Heights
neighborhood. As part of a larger goal of integrating the canyon into the life
of the neighborhood, the project aims to replace invasive vegetation,
particularly giant reed, with plants that are native to the area. (September)

For Orange County,the Conservancy:

• awarded $1 million to Crystal Cove Alliance to improve
public access and recreational opportunities at the Crystal Cove Historic
District of Crystal Cove State Park. Slated improvements include refurbishment
of four cottages for an Educational Commons and two cottages for overnight
rental, conversion of one cottage to a house museum and lifeguard station,
addition of pathways, and restoration of Los Trancos Creek. (September)

• provided $854,000 to the City of Laguna Beach for its
acquisition of two properties totaling 15 acres for addition to Laguna Coast
Wilderness Park. The purchases are the latest in a series of Conservancy-funded
park additions since 2002 that have protected almost 250 acres of scenic
wildlife habitat and added to the park’s extensive network of trails. (April
and September)

• granted $120,000 to the Laguna Canyon Foundation for
costs associated with future acquisitions of properties near Laguna Coast
Wilderness Park and Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park and for restoration
of existing trails on recently acquired parkland properties in Laguna Beach.
The parks are part of the 20,000-acre South Coast Wilderness Park system, a
greenbelt surrounding the highly urban landscape between Newport Beach and Dana
Point. (April)

For Los AngelesCounty, the Conservancy:

• provided $5.5 million to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes
for its purchase of 219 acres of undeveloped land for addition to the Palos
Verdes Nature Preserve. The purchase will protect wildlife habitat, provide
trail connections and habitat links to existing portions of the Preserve, and
further the City’s Natural Communities Conservation Plan. (September)

• awarded $1 million to the City of Los Angeles for a
pilot program to manage stormwater in residential areas within the Ballona
Creek watershed. The goal of the program is to reduce the amount of stormwater
runoff from residences and improve the quality of water flowing to Santa Monica
Bay. The Conservancy also awarded $600,000 to the Santa Monica Bay Restoration
Foundation to prepare a historical ecological study of the watershed, identify
locations and volumes of water flows, and complete plans for the Ballona
Greenway. The studies and plan will help guide ongoing work to improve the
watershed’s natural and recreational resources and water quality. (April)

• provided $675,000 to the Santa Monica Bay Restoration
Foundation to collect and review physical, chemical, and biological data and
collect native seeds as part of the ongoing planning effort for restoration of
the Ballona Wetlands south of Marina del Rey. The Conservancy also awarded
$175,000 to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority to complete
final design and permit applications for access improvements that will open the
perimeter of the wetlands to the general public. (June)

• provided $500,000 to the City of Los Angeles to retrofit
one block of Riverdale Avenue, a residential street abutting the Los Angels
River, with demonstration planters that will capture and infiltrate stormwater
and urban runoff. The planters will help prevent polluted water from entering
the river, contribute to groundwater recharge, improve neighborhood amenities,
and serve as a model for infiltration technology standards being developed by
the City. (June)

• provided $322,000 to Community Conservancy International
for Phase II of the Green Solution Project. The goal of the project is to
develop a network of parks and natural lands in which soil and plants capture
and filter stormwater to reduce pollution entering Santa Monica Bay. (April)

• provided $268,000 to the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land
Conservancy to restore wildlife habitat on the bluffs at Point Vicente and in
McCarrell’s Canyon. Both projects will include the replacement of invasive
plants with native vegetation to benefit wildlife and reduce soil erosion.
(April)

• awarded $200,000 to the Los Angeles Conservation Corps
to restore three acres of the El Segundo dunes and bluffs on either side of the
Youth Development Center at Dockweiler Beach. The work will restore habitat for
the endangered El Segundo blue butterfly and provide opportunities to increase
public awareness of the area’s ecology. (April)

• awarded $250,000 to California State Parks for the
Malibu Creek Environmental Restoration Study being prepared by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. The study will evaluate alternatives for removal of Rindge
Dam, which blocks the migration of endangered southern steelhead trout to
several miles of historic spawning habitat. (April)

• awarded $300,000 to Heal the Bay for its volunteer-based
Stream Team program to restore wildlife habitat and collect information about
water quality and biological conditions in the northern Santa Monica Bay
watershed. The restoration is primarily being done within Malibu Creek State
Park and Malibu Lagoon State Beach. (January)

• provided $53,000 to the Mountains Restoration Trust for
removal and control of giant reed, Arundo donax, and other invasive plants
along Malibu Creek. This will be the second phase of an effort that began in
2000 to eradicate the creek’s Arundo, which is one of the most significant
causes of habitat degradation along Southern California rivers and streams.
(January)

• provided $40,000 to Santa Monica Baykeeper to enlist the
community in the restoration of Malibu Creek and Malibu Lagoon. Outreach
efforts will inform local residents about the watershed’s environment to build
public support for the larger restoration of the lagoon, which will begin in
the summer of 2009. For hands-on participation, local volunteers—particularly
middle and high school students—will be recruited to replace exotic vegetation
with native plants along a portion of the creek. The Conservancy also
augmented, by $20,000, a previous Conservancy grant to the Resource
Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains for the first phase of the
lagoon’s restoration, which began in 2006. (April and December)

• granted $100,000 to Santa Monica Baykeeper to restore a
portion of Stone Canyon Creek on the UCLA campus. The restoration will use
student and community volunteers to replace invasive plants with native
vegetation and maintain one of the few natural areas remaining on the campus.
(April)

• awarded $100,000 to California State Parks to perform
surveys and habitat assessments aimed at restoring populations of the
California red-legged frog, a threatened species, within the Santa Monica
Mountains National Recreation Area. (April)

• provided $75,000 to Access for All to prepare site
designs and complete the planning for development of three public coastal
accessways at Latigo Shores, Carbon Beach, and Las Tunas Beach in Malibu. This
is the third Conservancy grant to AFA since 2004 to open pathways to Malibu
beaches. (December)

• provided $28,000 to augment a previous Conservancy grant
to the San Gabriel & Los Angeles Rivers Watershed Council for planning to
enhance wildlife habitat and build trails along Compton Creek. The Conservancy
has been working with the local community and conservation organizations since
2000 to improve habitat and public access along the creek, which flows to the
Los Angeles River. (January)

For Ventura County,the Conservancy:

• awarded $5.25 million, including $750,000 from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, to The Nature Conservancy to purchase 228 acres for
addition to the Santa Clara River Parkway. The purpose of the parkway is to
protect farmland, manage floodwaters, and restore the natural environment along
the lower 23 miles of Southern California’s largest river. (April)

• provided $4.5 million to the Ventura County Watershed
Protection District to purchase the nine-acre Matilija Hot Springs property and
design two bridge improvements in preparation for removal of the obsolete
Matilija Dam. The dam’s removal will enable endangered southern steelhead trout
to reach historic spawning and rearing habitat in the upper Ventura River
watershed and allow downstream flows to carry sand for replenishment of coastal
beaches. (June)

• provided $1.5 million to the City of San Buenaventura
for the Surfers Point Managed Retreat Project, which will widen Surfers Point
Beach and relocate its parking lot and bicycle path. Within the last 20 years
portions of the popular beach, located at the mouth of the Ventura River, have
eroded inland by as much as 60 feet. (June)

• awarded $96,000 to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy to
acquire and prepare a stewardship plan for the 53-acre Drapeau property on the
Ventura River. The property contains valuable wildlife habitat, and its
purchase is another step toward the protection of the river’s 15-mile corridor
between Matilija Dam and the coast. (November)

CENTRAL COAST

For the length of the Central Coast, the Conservancy:

• provided $900,000 to the Resource Conservation District
of Santa Cruz County for Phase 3 of the Integrated Watershed Restoration
Program in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Mateo counties. The IWRP, which began
in 2003 in Santa Cruz County, established a voluntary, non-regulatory approach
to watershed restoration by funding project designs and permit applications and
forming a technical advisory committee drawn from federal, State, and local
resource and permitting agencies. Phase 3 will introduce the highly successful
program to San Mateo and Monterey counties and enable its continued operation
in all three counties. (December)

• awarded $225,000 to the University of California, Santa
Cruz, to investigate the effects of coastal contaminants and other human-caused
stressors on California sea otters and identify reasons that sea otter
populations are not expanding. Early mortality and low birth rates among otters
have been observed in recent years, and evidence suggests that causes include
infectious diseases, parasites, and toxins resulting from human-related
activities. (September)

For Santa Barbara County,the Conservancy:

• contributed $1.27 million to the Land Conservancy of San
Luis Obispo County’s purchase of 143 acres of scenic dunes along Paradise Beach
at Point Sal. The property is within an area particularly rich in native plant
species and Native American cultural sites. The Land Conservancy intends to
transfer the property to Santa Barbara County, which owns other park and conservation
properties in the area. (January)

• awarded $538,000 to The Nature Conservancy to restore
natural habitat, eradicate invasive species, and prevent the introduction of
new invasive species on Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the eight Channel Islands
off the coast. TNC began this multi-million-dollar effort in 1978 and recently
announced a rebound in the population of the island’s endangered fox, one of 12
species on the island found nowhere else on earth. (December)

• provided $290,000 available from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration to the Earth Island Institute for removal of
fish barriers on Carpinteria Creek in the southern Santa Ynez Mountains. The
creek’s watershed may offer the best opportunity in the region for restoring a
significant run of endangered southern steelhead trout. The funding augments
$510,000 awarded by the Conservancy in 2005. (September)

• granted $90,000 to Audubon California to plan for
restoration of the lower Santa Ynez River and estuary on Vandenberg Air Force
Base. The plan will identify the first phase of efforts to improve habitat for
waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wildlife, including the endangered
southwestern willow flycatcher and southern steelhead trout. (September)

For San Luis Obispo County,the Conservancy:

• provided $5 million to the American Land Conservancy for
its purchase of 2,400 acres known as Wild Cherry Canyon in the Irish Hills
between Avila Beach and Port San Luis. The purchase will protect a variety of
wildlife habitats, allow for a major expansion of Montana de Oro State Park,
and provide the opportunity to build a critical link in the Coastal Trail.
After the purchase, ALC will convey its interests to California State Parks in
a phased transfer. (November)

• (1) granted $1 million to the Morro Coast Audubon
Society to acquire an eight-acre property for addition to the Sweet Springs
Nature Preserve on the south shore of Morro Bay; (2) authorized transfer to the
Audubon Society of ten contiguous undeveloped lots owned by the Conservancy in
the area; and (3) granted $100,000 to the Audubon Society to manage and restore
these properties. The actions will expand the conservation of wetlands and
protect water quality in the Morro Bay estuary. $500,000 of the Conservancy’s
funding came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands
Conservation Program. (January)

• provided $550,000 to the Point San Luis Lighthouse
Keepers to renovate the historic Point San Luis Lightstation and to reconstruct
an accessway between the lightstation and a sandy beach. The work will
significantly enhance educational opportunities and public access to the
lightstation and surrounding area. (January)

• granted $250,000 to the City of Morro Bay for
construction of a pedestrian and wheelchair-accessible boardwalk and bike path
along the Morro Bay waterfront, extending from the City’s commercial district
to Morro Rock and the south end of Morro Strand State Beach. The grant follows
$500,000 awarded by the Conservancy for the project in 2004. (January)

• provided $100,000 to the Port San Luis Marine Institute
to prepare and install marine education displays in the Avila Beach Marine
Research and Education Center. The new displays—including shark and bat ray
tanks—will bolster the Center’s growing stature as a community-based marine
science research and education facility. The grant follows $120,000 awarded by
the Conservancy for the Center in 2005. (January)

For Monterey County,the Conservancy:

• authorized use of $6 million, of which half will be
contributed by California American Water, to develop final design plans and
prepare permits for the removal of San Clemente Dam on the Carmel River, and
awarded $120,000 to the Planning and Conservation League Foundation for the
project. The obsolete dam poses a significant threat to downstream lives and
property and is a barrier to the migration of steelhead trout. The Conservancy
has been working since 2000 with California American Water, which owns the dam,
and several government agencies and conservation organizations for the removal.
(June and September)

• provided $500,000 to the Big Sur Land Trust for its
purchase of the 12-acre McWhorter Property for addition to the Carmel River
Parkway. The property contains portions of the river channel and forested
floodplain and offers excellent opportunities for public access and habitat
restoration. Long-term plans for the Parkway call for protection and
restoration of lands within the river’s ecosystem, development of educational
facilities, and installation of a trail network connected to neighboring public
lands. (January)

• awarded $250,000 to the Big Sur Land Trust to prepare
plans for the Lower Carmel River Floodplain Restoration Project. Key objectives
of the project include restoring 90 acres of wildlife habitat in the river’s
historic floodplain, recharging groundwater, reducing flood flows in urban
areas, reconnecting the east and west sides of the floodplain, and improving
the quality of water entering the Carmel River Lagoon. (June)

• authorized acceptance of an estimated $550,000 annually
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and award of these
funds to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation to continue its work for the Elkhorn
Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. The foundation has been working
since 1982 to protect and restore Elkhorn Slough, the largest estuary of
Monterey Bay and one of the most ecologically rich environments in California.
(December)

For Santa Cruz County,the Conservancy:

• awarded $7,180,000 to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz
County for its purchase of four parcels totaling 486 acres along Watsonville
Slough. The purchase will protect farmland and wildlife habitat and link two
existing preserves in one of the Central Coast’s largest areas of freshwater
wetlands. After the purchase, farming will continue on upland portions of the
property and the remainder will be managed to benefit wildlife and improve
water quality. (November)

• provided $1.5 million to the Wildlife Conservation Board
for its purchase of the 64-acre Willow Canyon property near Aptos. The purchase
will protect habitat for the endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamander and
several other rare and threatened species of animals and plants. (June)

• awarded $300,000 to the County to retrofit one Eureka
Canyon Road culvert and replace another to restore fish passage in Shingle Mill
Gulch, a tributary of Corralitos Creek. The work is part of a greater effort to
retrofit several fish passage barriers in the Corralitos Creek watershed, which
flows to the Pajaro River and supports one of the most robust runs of steelhead
trout in the region. (June)

For the Coastside of San Mateo County,the Conservancy:

• provided $3 million to Peninsula Open Space Trust to
construct and operate, for three years, a three-mile blufftop segment of the
California Coastal Trail at Cowell Ranch and Purisima Farms, just south of Half
Moon Bay. The trail will be accessible to pedestrians, bicycles, and
wheelchairs and will extend southward from a small State beach to a planned
parking/staging area near Highway One. (June)

• awarded $500,000 to the Golden Gate National Parks
Conservancy to build segments of the Mori Point Coastal Trail and restore
wildlife habitat on National Park Service property in the City of Pacifica. The
trail work will complete the construction, which began in 2007, of four miles
of the California Coastal Trail and connecting trails at Mori Point, including
long sections of trails that will be wheelchair accessible. (January)

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

For the Greater San Francisco Bay Area,the Conservancy:

• made $4,250,000 available for Phase I of the South Bay
Salt Ponds Restoration Project, the largest tidal wetlands restoration project
on the West Coast, plus an additional $300,000 for the South San Francisco Bay
Shoreline Study. The funding will support the first major restoration of the
15,100-acre salt ponds, for which planning has been underway since 2003. The
shoreline study will identify additional opportunities for flood control,
habitat restoration, and public access in the South Bay. (November)

• awarded a block grant of $3 million to the Association
of Bay Area Governments for projects to extend and improve the San Francisco
Bay Trail within the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The Conservancy also
approved funding for Bay Trail projects in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda,
Contra Costa, and Solano counties—information about these projects is provided
under the county listings below. Since 1998 the Conservancy has provided more
than $21 million for Bay Trail projects along the shoreline of San Francisco
Bay. (December)

• continued its support for the Bay Area Ridge Trail by
approving projects to extend and improve the trail in San Mateo, Contra Costa,
Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties. Information about these projects is
provided under the county listings below.

• made more than $2 million available to continue an
aggressive effort to stem the spread of invasive Spartina, a type of
fast-growing cordgrass that presents a serious threat to native wildlife
habitat. The Conservancy has been working since 1999 to eradicate the noxious
weed, which is now considered to be under control. $250,000 of the funding is
available from the State Wildlife Conservation Board. (April and September)

• awarded $360,000 to Greenbelt Alliance to complete the
Upland Habitat Goals report, update the Transit to Outdoors map, conduct
workshops to improve the effectiveness of San Francisco Bay Area land
conservation and stewardship measures, and further the natural resource and recreational
goals of the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program. (April)

• awarded $225,000 to the San Francisco Estuary Institute
for non-native oyster eradication in San Francisco Bay. The eradication effort
began in 2006, when the fast-growing exotic oyster Crassostrea gigas was found
in both southern and northern parts of the Bay. The establishment and spread of
the oyster could seriously harm native habitats and food webs and interfere
with habitat restoration. (June)

• provided $165,000 to the San Francisco Estuary Institute
to study the feasibility of, and develop recommendations for, treating or
removing creosote-treated pilings and similar structures in San Francisco Bay.
The pilings are a source of environmental contaminants and can be a navigation
hazard, but they also serve as bird perches and some have historical interest.
The work is supporting the San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Project.
(April)

• provided $100,000 to the Association of Bay Area
Governments to organize and present the State of the Estuary Conference in the
fall of 2009. The biennial, three-day conference brings together scientists,
managers, interest groups, and the public to address the protection and
restoration of the Bay-Delta Estuary. (December)

• granted $45,000 to the Coastal Conservancy Association
to provide technical scientific services to the San Francisco Bay Subtidal
Habitat Goals Project. The project is a public and private effort to establish
a long-term management vision for the protection, restoration, and use of San
Francisco Bay’s underwater habitats. The funding will be used to support
members of the project’s science and restoration committees. (December)

• augmented by $20,000 an existing contract for
environmental review of the plan for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail, a
proposed network of access sites enabling people in non-motorized boats to
enjoy single- and multiple-day trips in San Francisco Bay. The Conservancy also
awarded $20,000 to the Association of Bay Area Governments to prepare plans for
water trail signs. (April)

For San Francisco,the Conservancy:

• provided $1 million to the California State Parks
Foundation to restore tidal wetlands and other bay shoreline habitats at
Yosemite Slough in the Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. The project
aims to improve the site’s degraded fish and wildlife habitat in conjunction
with improvements to parkland adjacent to residential neighborhoods. The
funding comes from the Wildlife Conservation Board and follows more than $3
million provided by the Conservancy and WCB in 2006. (December)

• awarded $500,000 to The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and
Transportation District to design improvements to the Golden Gate Bridge South
Visitor Plaza, which serves many of the estimated 10 million annual visitors to
the bridge. The District is working to improve the plaza’s restrooms,
pedestrian and bicycle pathways, and landscaping at the site, which marks the
convergence of three major trail systems—the California Coastal Trail, the San
Francisco Bay Trail, and the Bay Area Ridge Trail. (December)

• awarded $204,000 to The Exploratorium to pave a 720-foot
pathway and construct a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the wave organ next to
the San Francisco Marina Yacht Harbor. Installed in 1986 at the end of the
harbor’s jetty, the wave organ is a popular acoustic sculpture that creates
sounds dependent on the site’s tides, weather, and water conditions. The access
improvements are part of an overall renovation of the organ being conducted by
The Exploratorium. (June)

For Bayside and Inland San Mateo County,the Conservancy:

• provided $7.5 million to the Midpeninsula Regional Open
Space District for its acquisition of the 1,000+ acre Mindego Hill property
near La Honda. The property offers spectacular ocean views and opportunities
for many miles of public trails, and contains wildlife habitat that includes
streams, spring-fed lakes, and seasonal wetlands. Peninsula Open Space Trust
purchased the property in 2007. (April)

• awarded $243,000 to the City of Brisbane to acquire five
parcels totaling more than six acres on the upper slopes of San Bruno Mountain.
The properties are home to endangered butterflies and are now part of a 74-acre
natural area being restored by the city and its partners. The Conservancy has worked
with the City to protect undeveloped lots on the mountain since 2001. (April)

• provided $250,000 to the San Mateo County Parks and
Recreation Foundation for design and installation of environmental education
exhibits at a new Interpretive Center at the Edgewood County Park and Natural
Preserve. The exhibits will convey information about the preserve’s geologic
and biological significance and the stewardship needed to maintain its
environmental resources. (June)

• granted $150,000 to Redwood City for design,
fabrication, and installation of interactive exhibits for the Redwood Shores
Community Library Interpretive Center on Belmont Slough. The exhibits will
highlight three natural habitats—mud, water, and air—of southern San Francisco
Bay. (April)

• awarded $185,000 to the San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission to prepare plans, engineering designs, and environmental documents
for the Southern Skyline Trail, a 4.7-mile segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail
within the upper Crystal Springs watershed east of Highway 35. The trail will
open the southern watershed ridge lands to the public and join with existing
trails to link parklands north and south of the watershed. The trail will be
open to hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians during daylight hours, and a
portion is expected to be wheelchair accessible. (June)

• authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
use $152,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to reconstruct a portion
of the San Francisco Bay Trail through the Coyote Point Recreation Area. The
1.2-mile portion of the trail will be resurfaced, realigned, and widened,
making it safer and more accessible. (April)

For Santa Clara County,the Conservancy:

• granted $4.3 million to the Santa Clara County Open
Space Authority for its purchase of 868 acres of the Blair Ranch near Morgan
Hill for addition to the Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve. The
acquisition is an important step in protecting the natural character of the
County’s southwestern foothills, one of the most rapidly developing regions in
the Bay Area, and providing an extensive network of public trails. The
Authority will reimburse the Conservancy $2 million of its grant within three
years. (January)

• provided $150,000 to the City of San José to construct a
one-third-mile segment of the San Francisco Bay Area Ridge Trail along
Penitencia Creek in the City’s Berryessa District. The construction will
transform an informal dirt pathway into a wheelchair-accessible pedestrian and
bicycle trail that will connect to other trails and provide access to transit,
schools, and retail and residential areas. (June)

• authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
use $63,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to build a 2.4-mile segment
of the San Francisco Bay Trail near Moffett Field through the Alviso Pond
complex of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Don Edwards San Francisco Bay
National Wildlife Refuge. The construction is an interim action designed to
provide immediate public access to the area until a permanent trail is built on
a future flood-control levee. (April)

• authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
award $59,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to Environmental
Volunteers for construction of a segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail in the
Palo Alto Baylands. Two parallel, 370-foot pathways—for pedestrians and
bicycles—will run on either side of the historic Sea Scout Ecocenter and link
existing portions of the trail. (November)

For Alameda County,the Conservancy:

• provided $9 million to the City of Oakland to widen the
Lake Merritt channel, create a tidal marsh along the channel’s edges, and
install facilities to remove trash and other pollutants from waters flowing to
the lake. The improvements will greatly improve the lake’s water quality,
increase the numbers and diversity of the lake’s birds and other wildlife, and
enable non-motorized boats to travel between San Francisco Bay and the lake.
The funding comes from the Wildlife Conservation Board. (December)

• awarded $600,000 to the Tri-Valley Conservancy for its
purchase of the 74-acre Bobba property in the South Livermore Valley area. The
purchase offers excellent opportunities for new trails linking Del Valle State
Park, Sycamore Grove Regional Park, Veterans Park, and Camp Arroyo. (December)

• authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
provide the City of Oakland with $400,000 from an earlier Conservancy block
grant to construct two segments of the San Francisco Bay Trail along the
Oakland Estuary. One segment will connect Union Point Park to Dennison
Street/Coast Guard Island Bridge, passing by the Cryer Boathouse. The other
segment will connect the ends of Derby Avenue and Lancaster Street between the
Park Street and Fruitvale bridges. Each segment will be about 450 feet long and
both will be wheelchair-accessible. (June)

• authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
provide the City of San Leandro with $300,000 from an earlier Conservancy block
grant to construct a San Francisco Bay Trail crossing over San Leandro Slough
and extend a nearby section of the trail. The slough crossing—a 350-foot-long
wheelchair-accessible steel bridge—will close a critical gap in the Bay Trail,
linking sections that run along the edges of Oyster Bay Shoreline Park and the
Oakland International Airport. (September)

For Contra Costa County,the Conservancy:

• provided $1.4 million to the East Bay Regional Park
District for its acquisition of the 333-acre Chaparral Spring property, which
borders Mt. Diablo State Park and the District’s Clayton Ranch on Marsh Creek
Road. The highly scenic property contains valuable wildlife habitat and offers
significant opportunities to expand the area’s network of hiking trails.
(September)

• provided $515,000 to the Muir Heritage Land Trust to
restore portions of Rodeo, Fern, and Slot creeks on the Fernandez Ranch near
Hercules and construct 1.4 miles of the Bay Area Ridge Trail and a
parking/staging area on the ranch. The creek work will improve wildlife habitat
and stabilize banks along 2,800 feet of stream corridors and the trail will
become part of a system of ranch trails connecting to neighboring parklands on
Franklin Ridge. (June)

• granted $150,000 to the City of Concord to complete a
600-foot gap in the historic California Riding and Hiking Trail by installing a
74-foot-long pedestrian bridge over Galindo Creek at Ygnacio Valley Road and
extending a nearby section of the trail. The gap is the last uncompleted
section of the trail, which runs for 20 miles between the Carquinez Strait
Regional Shoreline and Lime Ridge Open Space Preserve on the east side of
Walnut Creek. (September)

• awarded $97,000 to the City of Richmond to construct a
465-foot-long segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail along Canal Boulevard,
connecting two existing portions of the trail that run along Canal Boulevard
and Seacliff Drive. The award follows $53,000 for planning provided by the
Conservancy in 2007. (November)

For lands straddling Contra Costa and Solano Counties,
the Conservancy:

• provided $100,000 to the Delta Protection Commission to
develop the first phase of the Great California Delta Trail Plan. Envisioned is
a hiking and biking trail through the shoreline areas of Contra Costa and
Solano counties that would link the San Francisco Bay Trail to planned Sacramento
River trails. (September)

For Solano County, the Conservancy:

• contributed $242,000 to the City of Benicia’s
construction of a new pedestrian and bicycle overcrossing at the Rose
Drive/State Park Road overpass of Interstate 780 to enable safe passage by
users of the San Francisco Bay Trail and the Bay Area Ridge Trail. The project
will provide a much-improved connection for the trails between Benicia and
Vallejo and to points north. (September)

• contributed $150,000 to the City of Fairfield for
construction of a segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail along 1.65 miles of
McGary Road, which parallels Interstate 80 but was closed in 1998 due to a
landslide. The project will open a safe route for bicyclists and pedestrians
between Fairfield and the end point of the Solano Bikeway at the Vallejo city
limits. (September)

• authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
provide $200,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to the Greater Vallejo
Recreation District, and added $75,000 to that award for construction of San
Francisco Bay Trail and Bay Area Ridge Trail segments in Glen Cove Waterfront
Park in southern Vallejo. The new pedestrian/bicycle trails will be important
components of the planned 50-mile Carquinez Scenic Loop Trail, which will run
on both sides of the Carquinez Strait and pass over the Carquinez and
Benicia-Martinez bridges. (September)

For lands straddling Solano and Napa Counties,the Conservancy:

• awarded $350,000 to the California Land Stewardship
Institute to restore wildlife habitat along Suisun Creek and two of its
tributaries, White and Wooden Valley Creeks, whose waters flow from
southeastern Napa County to Suisun Marsh. The 53-square-mile Suisun Creek
watershed is considered one of the most promising San Francisco Bay drainages
for restoration of steelhead trout habitat. (June)

• granted $55,000 to the Solano Transportation Authority
to prepare a multi-jurisdiction plan for regional trails, including portions of
the Bay Area Ridge Trail, along and across State Route 12 between Interstate 80
and State Route 29 in the Jameson Canyon area. The Authority will consult with
local park and transportation agencies, Caltrans, and private landowners about
feasible trail routes and will develop preliminary cost estimates and a funding
strategy for building the trails. (June)

For Napa County,the Conservancy:

• awarded $1.65 million to the Napa County Regional Park
and Open Space District for its acquisition of the 673-acre Moore Creek
property near Lake Hennessey. The property contains diverse plant and wildlife
habitats and offers excellent opportunities for public trails and the County’s
first new group and family camping facility in 30 years. (September)

• contributed $1 million to the Land Trust of Napa
County’s acquisition of the 1,000-acre Duff Ranch near Calistoga. The rugged,
scenic property contains valuable wildlife habitat and links Robert Louis
Stevenson State Park to the 3,000+ acre Wildlake Ranch purchased by the Land
Trust in 2006. The Conservancy also provided $250,000 to the Land Trust to
prepare an interim plan for management of natural resources and public access
on the three properties. (April)

• awarded $600,000 to Save-the-Redwoods League for its
acquisition of interests in the Smith-Madrone property, adjacent to Bothe-Napa
Valley State Park. The League will acquire 55 acres of the property plus a
conservation easement over 65 acres. The purchase will protect forested
wildlife habitat and the headwaters of Ritchie Creek, prevent the conversion of
farmland to residential development, and provide an opportunity for new trails
leading to the State Park. The League expects eventually to transfer its fee
interests to California State Parks. (January)

• provided $485,000 to the University of California for
its acquisition of 157 acres for inclusion in the Quail Ridge Reserve on Lake
Berryessa’s south shore. The purchase will help prevent development in the
area, which contains some of the last intact native grasslands in northern
California along with oak woodlands and chaparral. The UC Natural Reserve
System manages the reserve for habitat protection and University-sponsored
research and teaching. (January)

• granted $83,000 to the Napa County Resource Conservation
District to develop plans for removing barriers to fish passage at 21 sites in
the Napa River basin. The barriers block or impede the migration of chinook
salmon and steelhead trout to historic spawning and rearing habitats.
(November)

• granted $25,000 to the San Francisco Estuary Institute
to develop the Napa Historical Ecology Atlas. The atlas will synthesize
hundreds of historical data sources into information needed to plan for the
restoration, enhancement, and protection of wildlife habitats within the Napa
River watershed. (April)

For Bayside and Inland Sonoma County,the Conservancy:

• contributed $1.5 million toward the Sonoma County
Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District’s purchase of 283 acres on
the summit of Sonoma Mountain. The property contains oak woodlands, redwood
forests, grasslands, and other wildlife habitats and offers distant views of
the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Nevada. The purchase links the neighboring
Jack London State Park to hundreds of acres of other protected lands on the
mountain. (December)

• awarded $700,000 to the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation
to construct the Laguna Interpretive Center at the Laguna de Santa Rosa near
Sebastopol. The interpretive center will house educational programs about the
Laguna and serve as the centerpiece of the Laguna Learning Center site, which is
being developed as the gateway to the Laguna. The Laguna is the largest
freshwater wetlands complex and the most biologically diverse area of the
County. (November)

• provided $575,000 to the Sonoma County Agricultural
Preservation and Open Space District to construct 4¼ miles of the Bay Area
Ridge Trail on Sonoma Mountain westward from Jack London State Historic Park,
plus a half-mile spur trail to the Bennett Valley overlook. The trails will
greatly expand the public’s access to unique wildlife habitats and the
panoramic views available on the mountain’s north slope. The construction
follows several years of property acquisitions by the District on the mountain
and a 2005 Conservancy planning grant for the trail. (April)

For Bayside and Inland Marin County,the Conservancy:

• awarded $150,000 to the Marin Municipal Water District
to restore wildlife habitat and improve public access to a section of Lagunitas
Creek off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in the watershed of Mount Tamalpais. The
project site includes the Leo Cronin Fish Viewing Area, the Bay Area’s most
popular spot for viewing salmon during the spawning season. (April)

• granted $95,000 to the Marin Audubon Society to complete
the restoration of wetlands at Bahia Lagoon in Novato. The 375-acre site,
purchased in 2003, contains tidal and seasonal wetlands adjacent to oak
woodlands and other protected wildlife habitats. The Wildlife Conservation
Board will reimburse the Conservancy for its contribution, which will fill a
critical funding gap. (November)

NORTH COAST

For the length of the North Coast, the Conservancy:

• awarded $500,000 to the Northwest California Resource
Conservation and Development Council for the design and permitting of at least
ten fish passage improvement projects and five associated water quality
improvement projects in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity, and Siskiyou
counties. The projects will follow similar work that has improved habitat and
removed migratory barriers to many miles of historic spawning and rearing
habitat for coastal salmon and steelhead trout. (December)

For the Coastside of Marin County,the Conservancy:

• provided $385,000 to the Golden Gate National Parks
Conservancy to reconstruct the portion of the Dias Ridge Trail lying within the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area just east of Muir Beach. The trail is a
segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail that connects Panoramic Highway to
Shoreline Highway/Hwy 1 and offers spectacular vistas of Mount Tamalpais and
the ocean. The new trail will be accessible to hikers and bicyclists, and a new
trailhead at Golden Gate Dairy will greatly improve visitor safety and
orientation. (June)

• awarded $230,000 to the National Park Service to
construct additional visitor and staff accommodations at the Point Reyes Hostel
and to bring the hostel buildings into compliance with current health and
safety codes. The improvements will add 12 low-cost visitor beds to the current
44-bed capacity and enable the hostel, which is currently closed for part of
the day between October and May, to remain open during daylight hours
throughout the year. (September)

• granted $185,000 to the County to replace side-by-side
culverts where Carson Road crosses Woodacre Creek with a wider, naturalized
structure that will allow coho salmon and steelhead trout to reach 3,800 feet
of good quality spawning and rearing habitat. The new structure will handle
floodwaters better than the existing culverts and is enthusiastically supported
by the neighboring landowners in the town of Woodacre. (June)

• awarded $109,000 to the Tomales Bay Watershed Council to
prepare a restoration plan for lower Third Valley Creek and Chicken Ranch Beach
in the town of Inverness. The plan will aim to improve water quality and
wildlife habitat and to reduce erosion at the county-owned beach. (April)

• granted $100,000 to the County to prepare a plan to
restore the watershed of San Geronimo Creek, a tributary of Lagunitas Creek
that contains some of the region’s best habitat for coho salmon and steelhead
trout. The plan will be directed primarily at the creek’s upper watershed,
where fish habitat is threatened by erosion and sedimentation, stormwater
runoff, invasive species, and encroaching development. (June)

• granted $85,000 to the Point Reyes National Seashore for
its Helping Hands Restoration Project to reduce erosion, construct livestock
fencing, and carry out associated educational programs in the Tomales Bay
watershed. The restoration aims to reduce the flow of pollution into Olema
Creek and Tomales Bay. Part of the work will be done through the Students and
Teachers Restoring a Watershed (“STRAW”) environmental education program, which
involves the participation of students from local schools. (January)

For the Coastsides of Marin and Sonoma Counties,the Conservancy:

• awarded $639,000 to Ocean Song Farm and Wilderness
Center to undertake a feasibility study for improvement of about 100,000 acres
of endangered coastal prairie habitat. Coastal prairies support the highest
plant diversity of all North American grasslands, and less than 10% of native
coastal prairies remain between Big Sur and the Oregon coast. The study will
include restoration of 35 acres on five sites to develop recommendations for
future stewardship. (June)

• provided $155,000 to the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation
District to improve water quality in the Estero Americano watershed through
pasture and manure management improvements on five dairies. The improvements
follow years of outreach, planning, and initial improvements on several local
dairies and will support the economic viability of the region’s dairy industry.
(September)

For the Coastside of Sonoma County,the Conservancy:

• awarded $495,000 to the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation
District to restore fish passage to 3.4 miles of Dutch Bill Creek, improve the
creek’s habitat for fish and wildlife, and install an 80-foot pedestrian bridge
across the creek at Camp Meeker. Coho salmon and steelhead trout from the
Russian River will be able to reach historic nursery and rearing habitat on the
creek after removal of a dam in Camp Meeker and retrofitting of a culvert at
Market Street in Occidental. (September)

• provided $290,000 to the Occidental Arts and Ecology
Center to analyze water supply and demand in the Salmon Creek watershed, design
a set of water conservation strategies, implement water conservation
demonstration programs tailored for small coastal communities, and complete
design and permitting for a large woody debris habitat enhancement project in
the Salmon Creek Estuary. The project continues the Conservancy’s comprehensive
approach to planning for improvements in the watershed that began in 2003.
(April)

• granted $262,000 to the Sotoyome Resource Conservation
District to improve critical habitat for coho salmon and steelhead trout in
Austin Creek, a tributary of the Russian River. The funding will be used for
the planning and design of improvements to control sediment that washes into
the creek and degrades fish habitat, continuing the RCD’s longstanding work
with landowners to restore healthy populations of fish in the area. (September)

• provided $200,000 to the Sonoma County Regional Parks
Department for preliminary design and environmental documentation for a
three-mile section of the California Coastal Trail in the community of Timber
Cove between Fort Ross State Historic Park and Stillwater Cove Regional Park.
The design work will include outreach to the community to identify potential
trail alignments that address the needs and concerns of local residents.
(December)

• awarded $125,000 to the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation
District to work with landowners and prepare a watershed plan to improve fish
habitat in Green Valley Creek, a tributary to the Russian River located between
Occidental and Forestville. The creek’s fish habitat has severely deteriorated
over the last several decades from sediment eroding from neighboring
properties, but it still supports salmon and steelhead populations and offers
excellent restoration opportunities. (January)

For Mendocino County,the Conservancy:

• provided $370,000 to the Mendocino Land Trust for its
purchase and initial management of the six-acre Hare Creek Beach property just
south of Fort Bragg on Highway 1. The purchase will enable the land trust to
open and manage a public pathway to a sandy beach on a beautiful ocean cove,
add a mile to the California Coastal Trail, and manage critical fish and
wildlife habitats that are currently degraded by unregulated public use and
invasive non-native vegetation. (September)

• authorized Trinity County’s Five Counties Salmonid
Conservation Program to use $105,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to
remove a barrier to fish-passage in Ancestor Creek, a tributary of the Mattole
River, at Briceland Road. A new bridge will replace culverts that prevent coho
salmon and steelhead trout from reaching more than two miles of high-quality
spawning and rearing habitat. (September)

• awarded $31,000 to the City of Fort Bragg for trail,
fencing, and signage improvements along three public access easements at Pomo
Bluffs Park above Noyo Harbor. The improvements will include a new pedestrian
and bicycle accessway to the park from Highway 1 near the south end of the Noyo
Bridge. (June)

• granted $24,000 to the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy to
assist with operation and maintenance of the Gualala Bluff segment of the
California Coastal Trail in Gualala. The funding will support the work of a
large number of volunteers who have been maintaining the popular trail, which
offers panoramic ocean views directly behind the town’s commercial district.
(June)

• provided $41,000 to the Coastal Land Trust to facilitate
the transfer of about 74 public access easements from the American Land
Conservancy to local nonprofit organizations and public agencies. Several
organizations are interested in obtaining specific easements, and the funding
will help the land trust manage those easements that are not accepted by other
entities. (June)

• awarded $10,000 to the Moat Creek Managing Agency to
operate and maintain public access improvements at Moat Creek Beach and along
the Moat Creek segment of the California Coastal Trail south of Point Arena.
The sites were created as part of an early and successful Conservancy effort to
reduce the density of the Whiskey Shoals subdivision for the protection of
scenic natural and recreational lands. (June)

• revised the Gualala Access Trails project approved by
the Conservancy in May 2005 by eliminating the planned construction of cable
steps and trail improvements to the beach at St. Orres Creek and adding
construction of a trail and one or two viewing platforms with interpretive
panels above the creek. A study of geological conditions made it apparent that
the beach trail would be unsafe, but the revised construction will still enable
visitors to reach a highly scenic beach overlook. (January)

For Humboldt County,the Conservancy:

• awarded $1,065,000 to the City of Arcata for final
designs, environmental review, and permitting for the Arcata Coastal Rail with
Trail project, which aims to build a 3.8-mile section of the California Coastal
Trail between northern Arcata and Bracut Marsh, one mile south of the City. The
proposed route of the pedestrian/bicycle trail would lie within or near the
North Coast Railroad Authority right-of-way, with its southern section running
close to Highway 101 near the shoreline of Humboldt Bay. (September)

• provided $900,000 to the Redwood Community Action Agency
for the first phase of the Humboldt County Coastal Trail Program, enabling the
Agency to assess the trail’s current alignment, prioritize and design potential
projects to close existing gaps, and coordinate efforts of the many agencies
and organizations working to create a continuous trail along the county’s
coastline. About 90 miles of the California Coastal Trail in the county are in
place, but an additional 64 miles need to be constructed or substantially
improved. (September)

• provided $975,000 to the Friends of the Dunes to
construct the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center, creating a “gateway to the dunes”
on the North Spit of Humboldt Bay, and to purchase two properties totaling 53
acres in the area. The center—scheduled for completion in 2010—will include
visitor services and educational facilities and provide the public with a
convenient entry to more than 1,000 acres of protected coastal dunes along four
miles of the coast. Earlier Conservancy funding contributed to the protection
of much of this area. (April, June, and September)

• awarded $770,000 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust
for its purchase of a 77-acre portion of the McNamara Dairy on Redwood Creek in
Orick. The purchase will allow the restoration of highly degraded salmon and
steelhead habitat while protecting farmland and providing for the continuance
of a viable agricultural operation. (November)

• authorized acceptance of $150,000 in federal grant funds
and use of $175,000, including a grant to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
for Phase I of the Humboldt Bay Regional Invasive Spartina Eradication Project.
The goal of the project is to develop a regional plan to eradicate invasive
Spartina, a cordgrass that threatens the native plant and wildlife communities
of tidal marshes in the estuaries of Humboldt Bay, the Eel River, and the Mad
River. (June)

• accepted the Access Management Plan prepared by the
Yurok Tribe for the 12½-acre Tsurai Village Site and awarded a grant of $30,000
to the City of Trinidad to manage creek runoff and hillside drainage that
enters the site. The Tribe prepared the plan, using Conservancy funds, to help
resolve land-use conflicts and improve the site’s management. The City will use
the grant to install drainage improvements that will protect public trails and
cultural resources. (June)

• authorized the Redwood Region Audubon Society to accept
an open space easement offered by the City of Eureka ensuring the conservation
of a 15-acre property adjacent to Humboldt Bay. The offer of the easement was a
condition to the Conservancy’s funding for the City’s purchase of the adjacent
Palco Marsh in 1985. (June)

For Del Norte County,the Conservancy:

• provided $641,000 to the County to construct almost two
miles of the California Coastal Trail along Pebble Beach Drive just north of
Crescent City. The pedestrian/bicycle trail will travel along a highly scenic
part of the coast and connect to an existing bike path within the City. (June)

• awarded $100,000 to the Yurok Tribe to prepare a plan
for public access in and around the Klamath River estuary. The funding will
help the Tribe develop a river transit system and a trail network with interpretive
signs highlighting the natural setting, Yurok traditions, and the Tribe’s
conservation activities. (April)

• provided $164,000 to Smith River Alliance, working with
Tolowa Dunes Stewards, to complete surveys and permitting prior to restoration of
dune habitats in Tolowa Dunes State Park and Lake Earl Wildlife Area and to
develop a public access strategy for Tolowa Dunes, Lake Earl Wildlife Area, and
Point Saint George. The work will lead to improvements of natural areas,
protection of cultural sites, and enhanced public access between Point St.
George and the mouth of the Smith River. (June)

For Trinity County,the Conservancy:

• authorized Trinity County’s Five Counties Salmonid
Conservation Program to use $160,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to
retrofit two roadway culverts that are barriers to fish-passage in Conner
Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River near Junction City. The existing
culverts block passage to about 2½ miles of spawning and rearing habitat for
coho salmon and steelhead trout. (September)

For the Klamath River Watershed, the Conservancy:

• augmented an existing contract by $150,000 to further study
the likely water-quality and biological effects of removing dams on the Klamath
River and to summarize that and other information in a comprehensive
dam-removal plan. Earlier studies commissioned by the Conservancy indicated
that removal of four dams on the river was feasible and affordable, and
additional studies are underway to analyze the potential effects of dam removal
on downstream habitats and existing reservoirs. (January)

2009 Project Accomplishments

The Coastal Conservancy’s ability to provide financial
support for projects was severely curtailed in 2009 because of limitations on
use of bond funds resulting from the State’s budget crisis. Nevertheless,
during the year the Conservancy received more than $27 million in federal
appropriations for its projects together with approvals for more than $51
million of economic stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act, most of which will be put to use before the end of 2010. Funding from the
federal government and other sources enabled the Conservancy to provide new
support in 2009 for 22 projects along California’s coast and around San
Francisco Bay with awards totaling more than $30 million. The projects are
providing jobs, supporting local economies, protecting natural lands, improving
wildlife habitat, and helping people enjoy the coast and the Bay Area.

The year began with a near-complete freeze on funds
originating from State bonds, which put a halt to most Conservancy projects. As
the year progressed, limited bond funds began to be released and work gradually
resumed on many projects—more than 100 by the end of the year. Bond funds for
new projects, however, remained frozen throughout 2009.

The Conservancy continues to support its existing projects
to the extent possible and is planning for new projects when State funding
again becomes available. To accomplish its goals the Conservancy relies on partnerships
with local communities and more than 100 nonprofit organizations based in all
parts of the coast and around San Francisco Bay. This network ensures that
local residents inform the Conservancy about coastal needs and opportunities
and are actively involved in the Conservancy’s work.

SOUTH COAST

For San Diego County, the Conservancy:

• awarded $4.84 million to the Southwest Wetlands
Interpretive Association and $297,000 to the Port of San Diego for restoration
of the South San Diego Bay Wetlands. The goal of the project is to
restore the natural ecology of 225 acres of salt ponds at the southwest end of
the bay. Most of the bay’s wetlands habitats have been lost to development, but
what remains supports tens of thousands of resident and migratory birds and
many varieties of fish and other wildlife. Most of the Conservancy’s funding is
available from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grant and a federal economic
stimulus award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (June
and October)

• awarded $960,000, available from the San Diego
Association of Governments, to the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy for planning
and permitting necessary for restoration of San Elijo Lagoon in
Encinitas. The work will lead to improvements in the lagoon’s water circulation
and wildlife habitat and establishment of a long-term management program.
Although severely degraded, the lagoon is a valuable component of the network
of habitats for birds and fish along the South Coast. (February)

• approved use of $540,000, available from the San Diego
Association of Governments, for planning and permitting necessary for
restoration of Buena Vista Lagoon State Ecological Reserve in Carlsbad
and Oceanside. Urban development around the lagoon has constricted its
habitats, and flows of sediments that settle in the lagoon threaten its
continued existence. Despite these impairments, the lagoon supports a wide
diversity of wildlife and is a prized amenity to the community. The funding
supplements $600,000 the Conservancy made available for the restoration in
2008. (April)

• awarded $195,000 of federal stimulus funds to the
Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association for its study on how sediments are
transported in the coastal nearshore at the Tijuana River National Estuarine
Research Reserve. The study will assist in the review of current policies
regarding sediment discharge and deposition in California and may well lead to
lower costs for restoration projects and better use of sediments for beach
nourishment and other purposes. The award augmented more than $750,000 provided
by the Conservancy for the project in 2007 and 2008. (September)

For Orange County, the Conservancy:

• granted $26,000 to Orange County Coastkeeper to maintain
the Conservancy’s public access easement at Portofino Cove in Huntington
Harbour. The easement allows the public to use a sidewalk that runs along
the Harbour’s main channel between Seabridge Park and a public parking lot. The
Conservancy also authorized transfer of that easement and another public access
easement, not yet open to the public, in the Harbour to Orange County
Coastkeeper, which has managed the Portofino Cove easement since 2007.
(February and June)

For Los Angeles County, the Conservancy:

• provided $25,000 to the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority (MRCA) for work that will lead to construction of a
public stairway leading from Malibu Road to Amarillo and Malibu Colony
beaches in the City of Malibu. The Conservancy further directed that ownership
of the underlying property be transferred from the Conservancy to MRCA. The
Conservancy acquired the property in 2002 and since that time has been planning
to build a stairway there. (June)

• awarded $25,000 to Los Angeles Forum to conduct public
access educational tours in Malibu. Los Angeles Forum will support an
existing program of the Los Angeles Urban Rangers through which visitors are
taken on “safaris” to under-utilized beaches and taught how to identify and
reach easements that allow use by the public. The program includes printed
guides that map the location of public accessways and provide additional
information useful to beach-goers. (June)

CENTRAL COAST

For the length of the Central Coast, the Conservancy:

• awarded $94,000 from the California sea otter tax
check-off fund to the University of California, Santa Cruz, for the second
phase of an investigation into the effects of coastal contaminants and other
human-caused stressors on California sea otters. Early mortality and low
birth rates among otters have been observed in recent years, and evidence
suggests that causes include infectious diseases, parasites, and toxins
resulting from human-related activities. In this phase of the study, two
separate otter populations will be examined: one in Monterey Bay, where the
water is relatively contaminated, and the other in Big Sur, where the water is
more pristine. (December)

For Santa Cruz County, the Conservancy:

• awarded $210,000, available from the federal Coastal
Impact Assistance Program, to the nonprofit organization Save Our Shores for
its community-based beach and marine debris prevention and removal program.
The program benefits the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and targets the
watersheds of the Pajaro and San Lorenzo rivers and Arana Gulch. The funding
follows $100,000 that the Conservancy awarded in 2007 for the program’s
development. (April)

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

For the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Conservancy:

• made almost $6.9 million of federal funding available
for Phase I of the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project, the West
Coast’s largest tidal wetlands restoration project. The funding is supporting
work at three sites in the 15,100-acre salt ponds purchased by the State and
federal governments in 2003. The work is being done by Ducks Unlimited, the
Santa Clara Valley Water District, and Alameda County and the funding is
available from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grant and an economic stimulus
award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (June and
September)

• made almost $1.9 million of federal funding available
for the aggressive effort to stem the spread of invasive Spartina,
a type of fast-growing cordgrass that threatens native wildlife habitats in the
Bay. The Conservancy has been working since 1999 to eradicate the noxious weed,
which is now considered to be under control. The federal funding included a
$1.7 million award of economic stimulus funds from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration plus additional funds from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. (April and June)

For Alameda County, the Conservancy:

• awarded $100,000 of Caltrans mitigation funds to the
East Bay Regional Park District to study alternative strategies for restoring
sand dunes and building trails and other improvements at Albany Beach, on the
west side of Golden Gate Fields in Eastshore State Park. Although the
Albany Beach dunes resulted from human-placed fill, they are thought to be
similar to San Francisco Bay’s historic dunes, almost all of which have been
lost to development. As such, they may offer opportunities for the continued
survival of rare native plants that require dune habitats. (September)

For Contra Costa County, the Conservancy:

• authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
award $150,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to the East Bay Regional
Park District for construction of a 1.1-mile segment of the San Francisco
Bay Trail between San Pablo and Wildcat creeks at the West County
Wastewater District facility. The new trail will enable hikers, bikers, and
wheelchair riders to reach more than a half mile of Richmond’s San Pablo Bay
shoreline at Wildcat Marsh. (December)

For Napa County, the Conservancy:

• made $65,000 from the San Francisco Foundation available
to monitor levels of methylmercury, a highly toxic compound of mercury that is
readily accumulated in the food web, as part of the Napa River Salt Marsh
Restoration Project. The restoration project aims to restore the ecology of
10,000 acres of former salt ponds along San Pablo Bay, and there is concern
that the restoration might exacerbate the exposure of fish and other wildlife
to methylmercury. The monitoring will help guide the progress of the
restoration. (September)

NORTH COAST

For the Coastside of Sonoma County, the Conservancy:

• awarded $8 million of Conservancy funds plus a
$5.85-million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
for the Sonoma Land Trust’s $36-million purchase of the 5,630-acre Jenner
Headlands property on the east side of Highway 1 north of the Russian
River. The highly scenic property contains a variety of wildlife
habitats—including redwood and Douglas fir forest, oak woodland, chaparral,
meadows, and coastal prairie—and offers excellent opportunities for regional
trails. The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
will hold a conservation easement over the property and is working with the
land trust to develop a management plan. The award of Conservancy funds was
conditioned on their future availability from State bond sales, but the
conditional award enabled the Land Trust to obtain interim funding for the
purchase. (September)

For Mendocino County, the Conservancy:

• awarded $193,000 to the Northwest California Resource
Conservation and Development Council to remove a barrier to fish passage in Ancestor
Creek, a tributary of the Mattole River. A new structure spanning the creek
at Briceland Road will replace culverts that prevent coho salmon and steelhead
trout from reaching over two miles of high-quality spawning and rearing
habitat. The funding augments a 2008 award of $105,000 from the Conservancy and
replaces other State funds that became unavailable because of the State budget
crisis. (September)

For Humboldt County, the Conservancy:

• awarded $20,000 to the North Coast Resource Center to
make it easier for the public to reach natural areas around Humboldt Bay
by cleaning up homeless encampments. The encampments, which are common around
the Bay, are public health and safety hazards that discourage recreational use
of natural areas by the general public. The North Coast Resource Center has
been working with the poor and homeless in the area for over 32 years and, as
part of the program, will direct homeless individuals to available services.
(June)

In 2010 the State Coastal Conservancy supported 67
projects along California’s coast and around San Francisco Bay with awards
totaling more than $28 million. The Conservancy’s support for these
projects is leveraging more than $60 million from the federal and local
governments and private organizations. The funds are being used to protect
natural lands, improve wildlife habitat, support local economies, and help
people enjoy the coast and the Bay Area. The majority of the Conservancy’s
funding came from resources bond acts approved by the State’s voters.

In the beginning of the year State bond funds were only
available for selected projects that had begun prior to December 2008, and so
funding for new projects was severely limited. By the beginning of May bond
funds again became available and the Conservancy began developing new projects
at a quick pace.

To accomplish its goals the Conservancy relies on
partnerships with local communities and more than 100 nonprofit organizations
based in all parts of the coast and around San Francisco Bay. This network
ensures that local residents inform the Conservancy about coastal needs and
opportunities and are actively involved in the Conservancy’s work.

For Public Access along the length of the coast, the
Conservancy:

•approved funding for projects to extend and improve the California
Coastal Trail in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Mendocino, and Del Norte
counties—information about these projects is provided in the county listings
that follow. The Coastal Trail will one day run the entire length of the coast,
linking the varied urban, rural, and wilderness areas that together make up
California’s world-renowned coastline. About half of the trail is now in place
and new segments are being added every year.

SOUTH COAST

For the length of the South Coast, the Conservancy:

•provided $52,000 to the Southern California Coastal Water
Research Project for the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project
Science Advisory Project to support the design, construction, and monitoring of
wetlands restoration in South Coast watersheds. The funding comes from the
California Natural Resources Agency and follows $500,000 provided by the
Conservancy for the Science Advisory Project in 2006. (May)

For San Diego County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $317,000 to the San Dieguito River Park Joint
Powers Authority to construct and plan for trails near San Dieguito Lagoon.
The funding will support construction of the 1.7-mile Mesa Loop Trail
overlooking the lagoon and about a half mile of the Coast-to-Crest Trail,
together with studies of possible alignments for the Reach-the-Beach section of
the Coast-to-Crest Trail near the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The Coast-to-Crest Trail
is a multi-use trail system that will connect inland areas in north San Diego
County to the coast. The funding follows $177,000 awarded by the Conservancy
for the trail in 2005. (May)

•provided $300,000 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to
construct a portion of the Bayside Birding and Walking Trail in the San
Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Imperial Beach. The new pedestrian trail
will be parallel to the existing Bayshore Bikeway and include a wildlife
overlook and a 50-foot bridge across a drainage channel. The trail will be
built to protect sensitive wetlands habitats and resolve conflicts between
bicycle and pedestrian uses of the Bayshore Bikeway. (May)

•awarded $250,000 to the Ocean Discovery Institute for
final design, engineering, and pre-construction planning for the Living Lab
environmental education center in the City Heights neighborhood in the City
of San Diego. The Living Lab will be the headquarters for Ocean Discovery’s
environmental stewardship programs, which use San Diego’s natural environments
as a means to engage young people from underserved communities and inspire them
to become part of the next generation of scientific and environmental leaders.
(August)

•authorized use of $220,000 for planning, permitting, and
associated studies for the San Diego River Tributary Canyons Project,
which aims to develop pedestrian and bicycle trail connections to the proposed
52-mile San Diego River Trail in the City of San Diego. The planning will focus
on possible alignments for a 3.3-mile trail that would link neighborhoods north
and south of the San Diego River to a City-planned river park in eastern
Mission Valley. The Coastal Conservancy has been developing the project in
close collaboration with the San Diego River Conservancy. (August)

•awarded $200,000 to the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
to plan for and design about three miles of the Rose Creek Watershed Trail
in the City of San Diego. The new trail will link existing trails, provide safe
railroad and creek crossings, and greatly improve access from the upper Rose
Creek watershed to Mission Bay. The trail will also become an important
connection to the Coastal Rail Trail, a planned 40-mile commuting and
recreation trail between downtown San Diego and Oceanside. (May)

•provided $250,000 to the City of San Diego for planning
and permitting necessary to reclaim the Nelson Sloan Quarry in the Tijuana
River Valley. The reclamation will improve the natural values and
appearance of the abandoned quarry, which lies within Tijuana River Valley Regional
Park, while providing a low-cost option for disposing of sediment that must be
dredged from the Tijuana Estuary and other nearby locations. (October)

•granted $104,000 to the Endangered Habitats Conservancy
for restoration of Swan Canyon in the City of San Diego. The funding
will be used to replace invasive non-native vegetation, including stands of
giant reed, with native plants. The work will improve wildlife habitat, remove
a fire hazard, and decrease the number of hidden areas used for encampments and
criminal activity. The funding follows Conservancy support for planning and
permitting provided since 1999. (August)

•awarded $300,000 to the San Francisco Estuary Institute
(SFEI) to prepare the Historical Ecology Study of North San Diego County Coastal
Wetlands. Working with the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project
and California State University, Northridge, SFEI will analyze historical
documents to characterize changes in water flows, habitats, and the plants and
animals found in eight wetlands from Torrey Pines State Reserve to Camp
Pendleton. The information will be used to develop restoration strategies
geared to each of the wetlands. (December)

•authorized the City of San Diego to use $56,000 of
previously authorized Conservancy funds to complete a Vernal Pool Habitat
Conservation Plan for the southwestern area of the City. Vernal
pools—wetlands that are occasionally dry—support several rare and endangered
plants and animals and are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the region.
The plan will be prepared in conjunction with the State’s Natural Communities
Conservation Program, which aims to conserve natural communities while
accommodating compatible land use and development. (December)

For San Diego and Orange Counties, the Conservancy:

•provided $60,000 to the Maritime Museum of San Diego to
plan and coordinate the Tall Ships Festivals of 2010 held in September
and October at the ports of San Diego, Dana Point, and Chula Vista. The events
featured visits from historic tall ships and working craft from around the
world together with multi-cultural educational and recreational activities
highlighting the three waterfronts. (August)

For Orange County, the Conservancy:

•provided $126,000 to the Laguna Canyon Foundation for work
leading to future property acquisitions for the South Coast Wilderness
system of parks and preserves. Since 2002 the Conservancy has provided more
than $9 million for purchases totaling 242 acres that have been added to Laguna
Coast Wilderness Park, a major part of the greater wilderness. The 20,000-acre
South Coast Wilderness surrounds the highly urban landscape between Newport
Beach and Dana Point. (October)

•granted $25,000 to Get Inspired!, a nonprofit
organization, to restore and monitor two acres of depleted giant kelp beds
at reef locations near Laguna Beach. Get Inspired! will also use the funding to
train volunteer divers, collect biological data at previously restored sites,
and involve middle and high school students in the restoration effort. Giant
kelp forests are among the most productive and diverse ecosystems in the world,
providing food and shelter for more than 800 species of marine animals.
(October)

For Los Angeles County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $994,000 to the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority to construct a stairway from Malibu Road to Amarillo
and Malibu Colony beaches in the City of Malibu. When completed, the
stairway will be the only public beach accessway between Malibu Lagoon State
Park and Amarillo Beach. The Conservancy, which acquired the site in 2002 and
funded the stairway’s design, also authorized transfer of the property to the
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. (October)

•contributed $573,000 to the Mountains Restoration Trust’s
purchase of the 78-acre Cold Creek High Trail property for addition to the Cold
Creek Preserve in the Santa Monica Mountains. The purchase will conserve a
critical segment of a wildlife corridor between Topanga and Malibu Creek state
parks and allow the development of public trails that will be linked to the
area’s regional trail systems. The land contains 12 parcels that could be
developed for residential estates. (August)

•provided $500,000 to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes for
design and construction of nine miles of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Coastal
Trail along the city’s entire coastline. Sections of the trail currently
exist but are disconnected, unmarked, and mostly in poor condition. The trail
will accommodate pedestrians, bicycles and, where feasible, wheelchairs. It
will be designated as part of the California Coastal Trail, and
connecting trails will lead to beaches and through the Palos Verdes Nature
Preserve. (October)

For Ventura County, the Conservancy:

•provided $4 million to The Nature Conservancy for its
purchase of 200 acres for addition to the Santa Clara River Parkway.
Goals of the Parkway project include managing floodwaters, restoring the
natural environment, and creating a public trail system along the lower 23
miles of Southern California’s largest river. The Coastal Conservancy has
worked since 2000 with the Nature Conservancy and other government agencies and
private organizations to develop the Parkway, which so far contains 3,000 acres
along 14 miles of the river. (October)

CENTRAL COAST

For Santa Barbara County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $2,336,000, including $1.2 million from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to Santa Barbara County for
its acquisition of a largely pristine 172-acre property on Paradise Beach
near Point Sal. The property adjoins hundreds of acres of already protected
land and includes about a mile of beachfront and a variety of habitats that
support hundreds of native plant and animal species. (April)

•provided $175,000 to the University of California to
construct a stairway over the slope of a bluff and safely link well-used and
highly scenic sections of the California Coastal Trail near Campus
Lagoon at UC-Santa Barbara. The project includes restoration of adjacent
portions of the bluff face, which has been severely eroded by a series of
informal trails. (August)

•granted $50,000 to the City of Carpinteria to prepare
environmental compliance documents for the Rincon segment of the Carpinteria
Coastal Vista Trail along the Santa Barbara Channel shoreline. The one-mile
trail segment will provide a hiking and biking connection between Santa Barbara
and Ventura counties and improve the safety of access to and along the
shoreline. The trail will close a gap in the California Coastal Trail at
a critical location between Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve and Rincon
County Park. (December)

For Monterey County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $180,000 to the Big Sur Land Trust for preparation
of final designs, environmental review, and permit applications for the Lower
Carmel River Floodplain Restoration Project. Key objectives of the project
include restoring 90 acres of wildlife habitat in the river’s historic
floodplain, recharging groundwater, reducing flood flows in urban areas,
reconnecting the east and west sides of the floodplain, and improving the
quality of water entering Carmel River Lagoon. The funding comes from a
$925,000 grant for the project received by the Conservancy from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, and it follows $250,000 provided by the Conservancy in
2008. (August)

•provided $75,000 to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation to
define, manage, and monitor ten conservation easements in the Elkhorn Slough
watershed. The easements resulted from decades-earlier applications for coastal
development permits and were designed to protect a variety of sensitive
wildlife habitats. (February)

For Santa Cruz County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $500,000 to the City of Santa Cruz for the
installation of interpretive exhibits within the Monterey Bay National
Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center. The Center, now under construction,
will introduce people to the 3,500-square-mile marine sanctuary and inform them
about how it can be protected. The site for the Center is near the City’s
Municipal Wharf and only a few blocks from downtown. (December)

•provided $250,000 to the Santa Cruz County Regional
Transportation Commission to prepare a Master Coastal Trail Plan for the
County’s segment of the California Coastal Trail. The plan will guide
the development of about 38 miles of bicycle and pedestrian pathways along the
County’s entire coastline, along with spur trails leading to and from points of
interest and community access points. Part of the plan’s development will
include workshops open to interest groups and the general public. (May)

•granted $50,000 to Save Our Shores to develop a
cigarette litter abatement demonstration project. The project will evaluate the
effectiveness of different types of cigarette receptacles and educate the
public about risks to the environment from cigarette litter. Cigarette butts are
the most prevalent type of litter that finds its way to the County’s beaches
and marine habitats. (May)

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

For the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Conservancy:

•awarded $1.2 million to the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council
to plan for future Bay Area Ridge Trail projects within the nine-county
San Francisco Bay Area. The Council is working toward creation of a 500-mile
multi-use trail that will ring San Francisco Bay high on the ridgeline. About
320 miles of the trail are currently open to the public, many constructed with
financial assistance from the Conservancy. (May)

•provided $1 million to San Francisco State University and
environmental contractors for the San Francisco Bay Living Shorelines
Project, which aims to restore subtidal habitats in the Bay and assist with
adaptations to climate change. The funding will support the establishment of up
to three pilot sites in the Bay for restoration of native eelgrass and oyster
beds. Much of the funding is available through the Wildlife Conservation Board
and from a U.S. EPA grant made to the Association of Bay Area Governments.
(August and December)

•authorized use of $300,000 of Conservancy funds plus
$357,000 from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to support the Bay Area
Ecosystems Climate Change Consortium‘s development of climate change
research priorities, adaptation practices, and pilot projects in the San
Francisco Bay Area. The Consortium is working to reduce the negative impacts of
climate change on the region’s wildlife, habitats, and ecosystem functions
while enhancing the role of natural systems in mitigating those impacts. The
funding will include a $150,000 grant to PRBO Conservation Science to
coordinate the Consortium’s science review, technical support, and mapping
efforts. (October)

•awarded $420,000 to the San Francisco Parks Trust to
conduct conservation planning in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area,
including outreach and coordination among Bay Area land conservation
organizations. The funding will support several projects and programs
undertaken through the Bay Area Open Space Council. (October)

•provided $100,000 to PRBO Conservation Science to (1)
model ecological changes to San Francisco Bay wetland habitats based on
a range of sea level rise and salinity change projections resulting from
climate change and (2) develop recommendations of high-priority sites for
restoration and conservation in light of the predictions. San Francisco Bay
wetlands are critical habitat for a wide variety of wildlife and directly benefit
local communities through flood control, buffering of storm waters, and
improving water quality. PRBO’s work will help guide planning for long-term
wetlands restoration in the Bay. (October)

For San Francisco, the Conservancy:

•awarded $300,000 to the San Francisco Planning and Urban
Research Association (SPUR) to develop an Ocean Beach Master Plan
addressing a myriad of issues affecting recreation, natural resources, and
predicted sea-level rise. The five-mile length of Ocean Beach makes it one of
the longest urban beaches in the country, and it has the potential for becoming
one of the most spectacular metropolitan beaches in the world. It suffers,
however, from erosion, neglect, and a lack of amenities for visitors. (May)

•provided $290,000 to the Trust for Public Land to develop
a master plan for Glen Canyon Park, including a plan to rehabilitate the
well-used recreation area and designs for trail improvements. Most of the
popular 69-acre park is an urban wilderness that contains forests, grasslands,
and coastal scrub habitats that are home to a wide variety of wildlife. The
City has designated $6.7 million of voter-approved local bond funds for the
park’s improvements. (December)

•authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
to provide $90,000 of Conservancy funds to the Port of San Francisco to install
improvements to an 800-foot-long segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail
in conjunction with the Port’s reconstruction of Pier 43½ in Fisherman’s Wharf.
The improvements will include lighting, street furniture, and trash receptacles
on the Pier 43 Bay Trail Promenade within the most heavily traveled
portion of the Bay Trail. The Port is relocating the alignment of the trail
from an inland street to the Bay’s edge, affording pedestrians, bicyclists, and
wheelchair riders greater safety and spectacular views. (December)

For Bayside and Inland San Mateo County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $800,000 to Ducks Unlimited to construct a
pedestrian/bicycle bridge linking the San Francisco Bay Trail to Inner
Bair Island in Redwood City. The bridge is part of a project that will
improve and reconfigure existing trails and add observation platforms, a
restroom, and kayak accommodations along the edge of an extensive area of
restored salt marsh. An additional $200,000 of Conservancy funds previously
awarded for the Bay Trail will also be used for the project. (May)

For Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties, the
Conservancy:

•granted $30,000 to the Alameda County Water District for
technical studies of water flows necessary to restore steelhead fisheries to Alameda
Creek. The creek once supported large populations of steelhead trout, but a
series of dams and other structures built since the 1840s have blocked
migration of the fish between the bay and its historic spawning grounds. The
award follows $120,000 provided by the Conservancy in 2006. (August)

For Alameda County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $355,000 to the City of Berkeley to construct a
half-mile extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail within Eastshore
State Park and a wateraccess ramp for non-motorized vessels at the Berkeley
Marina. The trail will run due west and become part of a greater project
that will include trail extensions, new park amenities, bus stops, and
lighting. The water access ramp is expected to be well used by wind surfers and
kayakers. (May)

•provided $250,000 to the Bay Area Toll Authority for the
multi-agency planning effort for the future Gateway Park at the eastern
base of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The park will take up 15 acres on
the shoreline of the former Oakland Army Base in an area that has historically
been isolated from nearby communities and difficult to reach. It will offer
spectacular views of the bay and the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge and
will be linked to regional trails. (October)

For Contra Costa County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $1 million toward the Muir Heritage Land
Trust’s acquisition of the 483-acre Franklin Canyon property in the city
of Hercules. The property contains a variety of wildlife habitats and a
potential site for a section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail that would
connect to adjacent protected lands along Franklin Ridge. The property had once
been a target of large-scale development projects and its protection has been
strongly supported by the local community. (April)

For Napa County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $118,000 to The Land Trust of Napa County to
assist public and private landowners in removing invasive vegetation and
restoring native habitats in the Eticuera Creek watershed within the
Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area at the north end of Lake Berryessa.
Non-native plants have invaded much of the 34,000-acre watershed resulting in
reduced habitats for wildlife, increased topsoil erosion, and lowered land
values. The work will be conducted by the Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area
Conservation Partnership, whose membership includes area landowners. (May)

•waived a $2 million repayment requirement from the Land
Trust of Napa County’s purchase of Wildlake Ranch near Angwin on the
condition that the entire amount of that funding be used for the ranch’s
stewardship and development of public access facilities. The Conservancy’s 2006
funding—made with a requirement for repayment under certain
circumstances—enabled the Land Trust to acquire the 3,000-acre ranch, but since
then other anticipated sources of funding for purchase and management failed to
materialize. The Land Trust plans to open the highly scenic and biologically
rich ranch to the public no later than June 2013. (October)

•approved use of $75,000 to support the design, permitting,
and other work associated with the Napa River Salt Marsh Restoration Project
near San Pablo Bay. The Conservancy’s contribution will keep the project
on-track for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct Phase III of the
restoration, scheduled to begin in 2011 pending an anticipated federal
appropriation of $12 million. More than half of the 10,000-acre project
site—purchased by the State in 1994—has been restored to tidal wetlands and ponds
managed for waterfowl and shorebirds. (October)

For Bayside and Inland Sonoma County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $475,000 to the City of Petaluma to complete
engineering designs, permits, and related studies for rehabilitation of the historic
railroad trestle on the Petaluma River for public access in downtown
Petaluma. The 500-foot-long redwood trestle, built in 1922 but long closed, was
once the main link for cargo transported to and from the river and a key
component of Northern California commerce. The trestle project is part of a
broader effort to re-integrate the river with the City’s downtown and expand
regional systems of trails for pedestrians and bicycles. (October)

•provided $450,000 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for
the Conservancy’s 25% share of monitoring costs through 2015 for the Sonoma
Baylands Wetlands Restoration Demonstration Project at the mouth of the
Petaluma River. The 322-acre project site, a former hayfield, was restored to
tidal wetlands in the 1990s using materials dredged from the Port of Oakland.
The Conservancy also authorized transfer of the property to the San Pablo Bay
National Wildlife Refuge. (October)

•awarded $300,000 to Sonoma County Regional Parks to
complete a master plan for Tolay Lake Regional Park near Sears Point.
The plan will cover restoration of wildlife habitat on 3,400 acres that include
Tolay Lake and 4½ miles of Tolay Creek, along with improvements for a park
center, trails, and equestrian facilities. The targeted area includes two
properties, one owned by the County and the other by the Sonoma Land Trust that
is slated to become part of the park. The Conservancy had contributed $5
million toward the properties’ acquisitions. (December)

For Bayside and Inland Marin County, the Conservancy:

•provided $5,250,000 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
for the ongoing restoration of the 648-acre Hamilton Wetlands in Novato,
one of the largest tidal marsh restoration projects in San Francisco Bay. A
portion of the Conservancy’s funding might be used to bring the neighboring
1,600-acre Bel Marin Keys Unit V property into the project. The bulk of the
project’s funding is being provided by the federal government. (February and
May)

•awarded $1 million to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust to
acquire an agricultural conservation easement over the 1,214-acre J. Corda
Ranch five miles west of Novato. The easement will enable the ranch to
continue in agricultural production while protecting wildlife habitat and
scenic lands. The ranch is connected on either end to other properties under
MALT easements, so the Corda easement will result in an extensive protected
wildlife corridor and a buffer against the encroachment of Novato’s western
end. (May)

NORTH COAST

For the Coastside of Marin County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $2 million to the Golden Gate National Parks
Conservancy for the restoration of Lower Redwood Creek at Muir Beach.
Most of the creek’s upper watershed is relatively intact, but its mouth and
floodplain are highly disturbed and prone to flooding. The project will restore
the natural ecology of the floodplain, re-create endangered species habitat,
reduce flooding that periodically closes the beach entrance road, and provide
educational opportunities about wetlands restoration. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service provided $1 million of the Conservancy’s award. (May)

•provided $98,000 to Marin County to assist landowners in
planning for improvements to salmon habitats in the upper San Geronimo Creek
watershed. The planning will guide future habitat restoration on privately
owned parcels, for which funding is expected from a variety of sources. The
planning is the first phase of a program for restoration of the watershed,
which contains some of the region’s best habitat for coho salmon and steelhead
trout. In 2008 the Conservancy provided $100,000 for the program’s development.
(October)

For Mendocino County, the Conservancy:

•provided $500,000 to the City of Fort Bragg for its
purchase of 12 acres of the former Georgia-Pacific mill site on the City’s
ocean headlands for the Noyo Center for Science and Education. The
Center will include a world-class marine research laboratory and a facility for
an aquarium and other public exhibits about the area’s coastal and marine
environments. The City will repay the Conservancy its contribution over time,
beginning in 2013. (October)

•provided $393,000 to the Mendocino Land Trust to construct
or improve seven segments of the California Coastal Trail, plan for the
development of an additional four segments, and continue to manage its existing
accessways and easements. The construction will add 3.2 miles to the trail, a
beach stairway, and interpretive panels at sites in Westport, Noyo Harbor, Fort
Bragg, Caspar, Little River, Albion, and Elk. This is part of the second phase
of an ongoing collaboration among the Conservancy, the Land Trust, and others
to extend the Coastal Trail in the county. (August)

•awarded $275,000 to Jughandle Creek Farm and Nature
Center for planning and design of educational and lodging facilities and an
improved trail system at the Center’s property east of Caspar. The Center
provides environmental education programs for young people, affordable lodging
and camping for tourists and environmental groups, and a greenhouse and nursery
where students, youth groups, and others can learn about and participate in
native plant restoration projects. The funding follows $87,000 provided by the
Conservancy in 2007 for preliminary technical studies and plans for the
improvements. (October)

•provided $36,000 to the Mendocino Coast Botanical
Gardens south of Fort Bragg for the design of improvements to its trail
system to meet Americans with Disabilities Act access standards. The Gardens
contains seven acres of landscaped gardens and 40 acres of natural lands along
the coastline, together with about 1½ miles of paved trails. The Gardens’
facilities and most of the paved trails are wheelchair-accessible except for
three trail sections that are too steep for most wheelchair riders. The
Conservancy has long supported the Gardens, providing more than $2.3 million
since 1982 for the purchase of and improvements to the site. (October)

•awarded $10,000 to the Moat Creek Managing Agency for its
continued operation and maintenance of public access improvements at Moat
Creek Beach and along the Moat Creek segment of the California Coastal
Trail south of Point Arena. The sites were created as part of an early and
successful Conservancy effort to reduce the density of the Whiskey Shoals
subdivision for the protection of scenic natural and recreational lands.
(February)

For Humboldt County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $600,000 to the Mattole Restoration Council for
continued enhancement of the natural environment in the lower watershed of the Mattole
River. The primary objectives of the restoration are a reduction in flows
of sediment that degrade salmon and trout spawning habitats, planting of trees
and other native vegetation to stabilize streambanks and provide shade for fish
habitat, and removal of invasive plants that threaten to overrun areas of the watershed.
The funding is supporting the third phase of restoration work that began in
2003. (May)

•provided $300,000 to the Humboldt County Resource
Conservation District for final design of the Salt River Ecosystem
Restoration Project near Ferndale. The project aims to restore fish and
wildlife habitat, reduce soil erosion on private lands, excavate a new river
channel, and provide for long-term maintenance and management of the restored
areas. The Salt River, within the Eel River Estuary, was once excellent habitat
for a variety of wildlife and contributed to the Eel River’s prodigious
populations of salmon and steelhead trout. Land-use changes in the estuary
since the late 19th century, however, have degraded water quality and wildlife
habitats and led to widespread flooding. (October)

•awarded $500,000 to the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community
of the Trinidad Rancheria for the reconstruction of Trinidad Pier. The
existing wooden pier, constructed in 1947, is deteriorating and has
contaminated Trinidad Harbor with chemicals from creosote-treated pilings and
runoff from routine activities such as boat washing and fish cleaning. The new
pier will be constructed of concrete and steel and equipped with a system to
collect runoff water. The Conservancy earlier contributed funding for the new
pier’s design. (December)

•provided $175,000 to the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service for public access improvements at the 444-acre Ma-le’l Dunes
Cooperative Management Area on the north spit of Humboldt Bay. The slated
improvements include upgrading of existing trails and parking areas and
installation of fencing, restrooms, and signs. The Conservancy contributed
funding toward the site’s purchase in 2003. (August)

•contributed $100,000 to the City of Arcata’s purchase of about
16 acres for addition to the Arcata Community Forest. The property
contains forests and wetlands along a portion of the south fork of Janes Creek
within a watershed that supports coho salmon and steelhead and cutthroat trout.
The purchase will ensure the protection of the property’s natural resources and
provide a site for public trails that will link to regional trail systems.
(October)

•awarded $92,000 to the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and
Conservation District to complete final design and permitting for Phase II of
the Humboldt Bay Water Trails program. The funding will support the
design of new docks at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary and Woodley
Island Marina and improvements to water access at Samoa Beach County Park. The
objective of the program is to develop a series of water routes for canoeists
and kayakers that are safe, easily accessible, and compatible with the natural
environment and the interests of private landowners. (August)

•granted $50,000 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust for
the design and permitting of the Freshwater Nature Trail along the
perimeter of the Freshwater Farms Reserve north of Eureka. The planned
three-quarter-mile trail will include parking and picnic areas and a boat
launch to Freshwater Slough, which flows to Humboldt Bay. Conservancy funding
contributed to the Land Trust’s purchase of the 54-acre reserve in 2007.
(October)

For Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, the Conservancy:

•provided $70,000 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to
plan for the acquisitions of a conservation easement on the 160-acre Wetherell
Dairy in Fort Dick, Del Norte County, and fee title to the 40-acre Senestraro
property in Eureka, Humboldt County, and to prepare a Restoration and
Management Plan for the 77-acre McNamara Dairy in Orick, Humboldt
County. The Wetherell Dairy conservation easement will allow continued
operation of a historic dairy in the Smith River Plain while preventing its
subdivision and protecting its wildlife habitat. The Senestraro acquisition
will allow restoration of Martin Slough, a tributary of the Eel River. The
McNamara Dairy was purchased with Conservancy funds in 2009, in part to protect
and enhance the environment of the estuary of Redwood Creek. (May)

For Del Norte County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $685,000 to the Crescent City Harbor District for
the planning, design, and permitting of public access improvements in Crescent
City Harbor. The funding will support the development of overall design
guidelines along with specific designs for a waterfront promenade and an
extension of the California Coastal Trail. The Conservancy has worked
with Crescent City to revitalize its waterfront since 1984. (August)

•provided $100,000 to the County for improvements to Battery
Point Lighthouse in Crescent City to ensure continued public access to the
lighthouse and island grounds. Recent damage to the cast-iron roof of the
lighthouse threatens its structural integrity and long-deferred maintenance
must be addressed to stem the continued deterioration of the lighthouse
structures and the trail from the City’s waterfront. The lighthouse is an
iconic symbol of California’s North Coast and is visited by more than 15,000
people each year. (October)

2011 Project Accomplishments

In 2011 the State Coastal Conservancy supported 79
projects along California’s coast and around San Francisco Bay with awards
totaling more than $64 million. The Conservancy’s support for these
projects is leveraging $121 million from the federal and local
governments and private organizations. The funds are being used to protect
natural lands, improve wildlife habitat, support local economies, and help
people enjoy the coast and the Bay Area. The majority of the Conservancy’s
funding came from resources bond acts approved by the State’s voters.

To accomplish its goals the Conservancy relies on
partnerships with local communities and more than 100 nonprofit organizations
based in all parts of the coast and around San Francisco Bay. This network
ensures that local residents inform the Conservancy about coastal needs and
opportunities and are actively involved in the Conservancy’s work.

For Public Access along the length of the coast, the
Conservancy:

·approved funding for projects to extend and improve the
California Coastal Trail in San Diego, Monterey, San Mateo, San Francisco,
Mendocino, and Humboldt counties—information about these projects is provided
in the county listings that follow. The Coastal Trail will one day run the
entire length of the coast, linking the varied urban, rural, and wilderness areas
that together make up California’s world-renowned coastline. More than half of
the trail is now in place, with new segments and support facilities, such as
parking areas and restrooms, being added every year.

For stewardship of coastal waters, the Conservancy:

·provided staff for the Ocean Protection Council, a State
organization established to ensure that California maintains healthy,
resilient, and productive ocean and coastal ecosystems for the benefit of
current and future generations. In 2011, the OPC:

·provided $1.96 million for continued monitoring of the
State’s system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) established under the Marine
Life Protection Act. The MPA Monitoring Enterprise—a program of the California
Ocean Science Trust—is using the funding to: (1) advance the development of
scientific approaches to monitoring; (2) manage and share information,
including monitoring data and scientific analyses; and (3) communicate
monitoring results and support adaptive MPA management. California Sea Grant
also awarded funds for baseline data collection for the newly designated South
Coast MPAs, using $4 million made available by the OPC in 2008. (March)

·adopted a resolution on Sea Level Rise (SLR) calling for
State agencies to: (1) assess vulnerabilities of projects and programs over the
full range of SLR projections; (2) avoid high-risk decisions, based on the SLR
projections; and (3) coordinate use of the same SLR projections among agencies
working on a particular project or program. (March)

·awarded $990,000 to prepare a Spiny Lobster Fishery
Management Plan. Spiny lobsters are a popular commercial and recreational
fishery and are subject to an unknown level of illegal take. Basic studies of
population ecology and habitat use are ongoing, but more information is needed
to understand population size and habitat requirements to support a sustainable
commercial and recreational harvest. (May)

·awarded $222,000 to the California State Lands Commission
to review and update its offshore geophysical permit program. The funding will
allow the Commission to incorporate up-to-date science regarding the potential
impacts of geophysical surveys on marine life and the coastal environment and
conduct an environmental analysis, with public review, of the permit program. (August)

·adopted a protocol for the California Voluntary
Sustainable Seafood Program for commercial fisheries, as directed by the
Legislature in 2009. Program elements include establishment of a process and
standards for sustainable certification, grants and loans (pending legislated
funding) to assist fisheries in becoming certified, design of a label to
identify certified seafood, and marketing assistance. (December)

·recommended a policy to the California Energy Commission
on test and pilot projects for marine renewable energy and prepared an
accompanying white paper containing guidance for permitting. (December)

·authorized development of an agreement with the California
Technology Agency to support the integration of California’s coastal and marine
geospatial data into a statewide Internet-based “geo portal” to improve access
to these data by interested parties, including the general public. (December)

·approved four scientific research projects that will be
conducted by the State’s two Sea Grant programs using funds from a $1.08
million OPC grant awarded in 2010. The projects are grouped under three
areas—sustainable fisheries, climate change, and coastal and marine spatial
planning—and will assist the OPC in making management and policy decisions.
(December)

SOUTH COAST

For San Diego County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $2.5 million to the San Diego Association of
Governments to design and construct nearly three miles of the Bayshore Bikeway
and California Coastal Trail along San Diego Bay. On its south end the new
trail will link to an existing section of the bikeway at National City’s Pepper
Park and run northward along the National City Marina and through much of the
Naval Base San Diego. The Bayshore Bikeway, about half complete and aligned
with the Coastal Trail, will one day encircle the bay. (March)

•contributed $1,445,000 to the City of Santee’s purchase of
the 105-acre Walker Property along the San Diego River to protect and restore
natural habitats and provide compatible public access. The property had been
used for sand mining but contains high quality habitat for resident and
migratory birds, including two endangered species. A portion of the funding
will be used to design a new section of the San Diego River Trail, which is
planned to run from the river’s headwaters to the ocean. (May)

•provided $650,000 to the City of Del Mar to construct a
pathway to Del Mar Beach and replace dilapidated public restrooms as part of
the new 17th Street Beach Safety Center. The new pathway from Coast Boulevard
at 17th Street will be wheelchair accessible and enable beachgoers to avoid
passing through a busy parking lot. The 2.5-mile Del Mar Beach attracts an
estimated two million people annually. (May)

•awarded $450,000 to the County’s Department of Parks and
Recreation for the design and construction of a 1½-mile section of the
Sweetwater River Trail in Sweetwater Valley Regional Park in Bonita. The new
trail section will be the final link connecting the Sweetwater Loop Trail
System on the east side of the park to the Bayshore Bikeway and the California
Coastal Trail to the west. The trail will accommodate hikers, bikers,
wheelchair riders, and equestrians and replace an informal dirt pathway that is
occasionally inaccessible. (July)

•granted $286,000 to the San Diego Unified Port District to
revitalize commercial fishing facilities at Driscoll’s Wharf on San Diego Bay.
The funding is being used for structural improvements to the offloading pier,
purchase and installation of an ice machine and live seafood holding tanks, installation
of interpretive signs, and planning for an on-site fisherman’s market. The
funding follows $450,000 provided by the Conservancy in 2007 for preparation of
a comprehensive commercial fisheries revitalization and public access plan to
counter the decline in the region’s commercial fishing industry and improve
public access and visitor-serving facilities on the bay’s waterfront.
(September)

•awarded $150,000 to the San Diego History Center to
prepare plans to update the exhibits and use of the Junipero Serra Museum and
make it a focal point for presentations about the history and significance of
the San Diego River. Although a recognized San Diego landmark, the museum is
currently underutilized, drawing fewer than 20,000 visitors per year and
housing exhibits that are 15-20 years old. The museum is near the mouth of the
river on Presidio Hill, right above Old Town San Diego, and first opened to the
public in 1929. (September)

For San Diego and Orange Counties, the Conservancy:

•provided $70,000 to the Maritime Museum of San Diego to
plan and coordinate the Tall Ships Festivals of 2011 to be held in September at
the ports of San Diego, Dana Point, and Chula Vista. The events will feature
visits from historic tall ships and working craft from around the world
together with multi-cultural educational and recreational activities
highlighting the three waterfronts.

For Orange and Riverside counties, the Conservancy:

•provided $2 million to Orange County and $3.4 million to
Riverside County for design and permitting of the remaining sections of the
Santa Ana River Parkway in the two counties. The Parkway—more than half
complete—will one day run for about 100 miles from the crest of the San
Bernardino Mountains to the coast near Huntington Beach. The Conservancy’s funding
will be directed at a planned three-mile section of the Parkway in Orange
County and an adjoining 22½-mile section in Riverside County. (May)

For Orange and Los Angeles counties, the Conservancy:

•provided $225,000 to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority
to prepare a comprehensive conceptual restoration plan for the Los Cerritos
wetlands complex in the cities of Long Beach and Seal Beach near the mouth of
the San Gabriel River. The 450-acre study area contains about 200 acres of
mostly degraded wetlands in public and private ownership. The authority holds
title to more than 170 acres and is looking to expand its holdings. (September)

For Los Angeles County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $1.5 million to the City of Long Beach to develop
a 1¼-mile-long park and restore native wildlife habitats in the Deforest
Wetlands, a 39-acre flood-control detention basin along the lower Los Angeles
River. Almost four miles of public trails will be constructed in the site along
with a bicycle staging area. Besides benefitting wildlife, the habitat
restoration will improve the river’s water quality and increase flood
protection for nearby neighborhoods. The project will be a significant step
forward in the creation of the planned 52-mile Los Angeles River Greenway.
(November)

•provided $991,000 to the City of Long Beach to dredge,
treat, and dispose of contaminated sediments from the west arm of Colorado
Lagoon. The project is part of a larger effort to improve the lagoon’s water
quality and wildlife habitats. About two-thirds of the Conservancy’s funding
came from a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(January and November)

•awarded $500,000 to the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority for design and construction of Compton Creek Natural Park
in Compton. The park will be built on a four-acre, publicly owned vacant lot
adjacent to Washington Elementary School. It will be designed to highlight the
creek’s natural environment and will include a gateway to the Compton Creek
Regional Garden Park Trail, which will lead to the Los Angeles River Trail.
(March)

•provided $280,000 to the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority for site improvements and planning to provide for public
access, community stewardship, and educational programs at the Ballona Wetlands
Ecological Reserve. The project is targeting 300 acres of State-owned land
north of Ballona Creek that has been closed to the public but suffers from
dumping and other illegal activities. Site improvements will include garbage
removal and new gates, fences, and educational signs. (July)

•provided $89,000 to California State University Fullerton
Auxiliary Service Corporation to restore and monitor a native oyster bed using
community volunteers for the Alamitos Bay Oyster Project in Long Beach. The
funding will support the establishment of a 60-square-meter bed of Olympia
oysters—California’s only native oyster—and apply what is learned to future
restoration efforts in Southern California. Community participation is expected
to stimulate the public’s interest in the natural environment and similar
restoration projects. (November)

•granted $20,000 to the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority to manage public beach accessways in Malibu. Most of the
funding will be directed to the management of a stairway to the beach in the
Latigo Shores neighborhood, but a portion is expected to assist in the
management of an additional four access easements held by the Authority.
(September)

For Ventura County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $500,000 to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s
acquisition of 70 acres of the Hollingsworth Ranch property along the Ventura
River. The purchase protects 1.3 miles of spawning and rearing habitat for
endangered southern steelhead trout and links already protected lands upstream
and downstream. The purchase is part of a greater effort to create the Ventura
River Parkway on the lower 15 miles of the river. (January)

•awarded $405,000 to the County to replace a four-barrel
culvert crossing with a 520-foot bridge along the Ojai Valley Trail at the
confluence of San Antonio Creek and the Ventura River. The project will greatly
improve passage for steelhead trout to and from 15 miles of streams in the
creek’s watershed and allow the trail to remain open to users year-round. The
culverts have filled with sediment in years with high rainfall, blocking
passage for the trout and washing out the trail. The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration provided $190,000 of the Conservancy’s funds. (March
and September)

CENTRAL COAST

For the length of the Central Coast, the Conservancy:

•provided $164,000 from the California sea otter tax
check-off fund to the University of California, Santa Cruz, for an
investigation into the effects of coastal contaminants and other human-caused
stressors on California sea otters. The otters suffer from early mortality and
low birth rates and evidence suggests that causes include infectious diseases,
parasites, and toxins resulting from human-related activities. The funding
follows $319,000 awarded by the Conservancy for the study in 2008 and 2009.
(January)

For Santa Barbara County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $3 million to The Trust for Public Land for its
purchase of the 63-acre Ocean Meadows property in Devereux Slough. The purchase
will complete a 650-acre assemblage of properties permanently protected for
wildlife habitat, scenic views, recreation, and education, and allow for future
restoration of the property’s wetlands. The Conservancy’s award includes
$500,000 received from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant. (May)

•provided $250,000 to the University of California, Santa
Barbara, for public access improvements at the Coal Oil Point Reserve adjacent
to Devereux Slough. The improvements will include new and repaired fencing, new
entrance structures, and a seasonal boardwalk over a flooded section of the
trail. A primary objective of the improvements is to protect the reserve’s
fragile wildlife habitats. (January)

For Monterey County, the Conservancy:

•made $4.5 million available for the removal of San
Clemente Dam on the Carmel River. The obsolete dam poses a significant threat
to downstream lives and property and is a barrier to the migration of steelhead
trout. The Conservancy has been working for the dam’s removal since 2000 with
several government agencies, conservation organizations, and California
American Water, which owns the dam and is contributing $49 million to the
project. (May)

•awarded $250,000 to the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea to
construct public access improvements and restore dune wildlife habitat at the
popular Carmel Beach. The access improvements will include changes to the
parking layout, installation of a blufftop boardwalk and view platform, and
construction of a 550-foot section of the California Coastal Trail that will connect
the beach to more than 20 miles of the trail that extend northward. The dune
restoration will include replacement of invasive, exotic vegetation with plants
native to the area. (November)

For Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, the Conservancy:

•awarded $60,000 to O’Neill Sea Odyssey for California
Ocean Stewards, a new marine education program serving underserved elementary
school children in the Monterey Bay area. Program components include lessons in
navigation, sailing, conservation, and marine science aboard a 65-foot
catamaran in Monterey Bay; classroom instruction utilizing website materials;
community service; and follow-up projects at the O’Neill Sea Odyssey Marine
Education Center in Santa Cruz. (May)

For Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo counties, the
Conservancy:

•provided $600,000 to the Resource Conservation District of
Santa Cruz County to design and permit eight to ten watershed restoration
projects as part of Phase 3 of the Integrated Watershed Restoration Program.
The IWRP, which began in 2003 in Santa Cruz County, established a voluntary,
non-regulatory approach to watershed restoration by funding project designs and
permit applications and forming a technical advisory committee drawn from
federal, State, and local resource and permitting agencies. The grant augments
$900,000 awarded by the Conservancy for the program in 2008. (May)

For the Coastside of San Mateo County, the Conservancy:

•provided $2.65 million to the Coastside Land Trust to
acquire a 50-acre bluff-top portion of the Wavecrest property in Half Moon Bay,
design an extension of the California Coastal Trail through the property, and
produce a conceptual design for extending the Coastal Trail south about ½ mile
to Redondo Beach. The property supports a greater number and diversity of
raptors than any other site in the County and was long threatened with
development. (September)

•awarded $500,000 to the County to purchase and install
bathrooms and other visitor facilities at both ends of the planned Devil’s
Slide Coastal Trail and for planning and permitting to extend the trail one
mile southward to Montara and Gray Whale Cove State Beaches. The Devil’s Slide
portion of the California Coastal Trail will be located on the existing route
of Highway 1 that will be closed to motor vehicles when Caltrans completes the
Devil’s Slide bypass tunnel. The Conservancy is also involved in the planning
effort to extend the Coastal Trail northward of the tunnel into Pacifica.
(July)

•provided $250,000 to the City of Pacifica to acquire the
six-acre Tronoff parcel at the Pedro Point Headlands just south of Pacifica as
a site for the California Coastal Trail. The new Coastal Trail segment will
connect to publicly owned land on the headlands and the future Devil’s Slide
Coastal Trail. The hoped-for future acquisition of a neighboring property would
allow the new segment to be linked to the existing length of the Coastal Trail
that runs along the City’s coastline. (November)

•provided $250,000 to the County to build a ¼-mile segment
of the California Coastal Trail and replace a deteriorating bridge over San
Vicente Creek at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. The new 60-foot
bridge will cross the creek near the reserve parking lot and link to dirt
bluff-top trails and the Coastal Trail, which will run southeast to the reserve
boundary at Cypress Avenue. The bridge and the trail will accommodate hikers,
wheelchair riders, bicyclists, and equestrians. (May)

•approved the transfer of the historic Purisima Townsite, a
five-acre Conservancy-owned property about three miles south of Half Moon Bay,
to the Coastside Land Trust. The Conservancy also awarded the land trust a
$45,000 grant to improve and manage the property for public use. The planned
improvements include fencing, signs, and a gravel parking area that could be
used by visitors to the nearby Cowell-Purisima Coastal Trail, which was
recently opened. (July)

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

For the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Conservancy:

•made $5.9 million available for the ongoing effort to stem
the spread of invasive Spartina, fast-growing varieties of cordgrass that
threaten native wildlife habitats in the Bay. The Conservancy has been working
since 1999 to eradicate the noxious weeds, and the effort has succeeded in
reducing the range of the infestation from a high of 800 acres to fewer than
100 acres at the end of 2010. Formerly infested sites are now being replanted
with native vegetation. The Wildlife Conservation Board is providing $4.1
million of the funding and an additional $267,000 is coming from the federal
government. (March and September)

•made $2.5 million available to plan for Phase II of the
South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Project, the West Coast’s largest tidal
wetlands restoration project. The planning will position future work for
receipt of matching funds from the federal government and other sources. Of the
six habitat restoration and five public access projects undertaken under Phase
I, only two remain to be completed. The Wildlife Conservation Board is
providing $475,000 of the planning funds. (November)

•awarded $1 million to the Association of Bay Area
Governments to establish the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail, a planned
network of launching and landing sites around San Francisco Bay for small
non-motorized boats. Working closely with the Conservancy, ABAG will use the
funding to develop and improve water trail sites, provide information about the
trail, promote safe boating practices and wildlife protection, and plan for the
trail’s continued development. (March)

•approved funding for projects to extend and improve the
San Francisco Bay Trail in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Alameda
counties—information about these projects is provided in the county listings
that follow. The Bay Trail will one day encircle San Francisco and San Pablo
Bays with a continuous 500-mile network of bicycling and hiking trails along or
near the shoreline. About 310 miles of the trail—over 60 percent of its
ultimate length—have been completed.

•approved funding for projects to extend and improve the Bay
Area Ridge Trail in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma
counties—information about these projects is provided in the county listings
that follow. The Ridge Trail will one day contain a continuous 550-mile network
of hiking, bicycling, and equestrian trails on the ridgelines encircling San
Francisco and San Pablo Bays. More than 325 miles of the trail are now open to
the public.

•provided $100,000 to the Association of Bay Area
Governments to organize and present the tenth State of the Estuary Conference
in the fall of 2011. The biennial, conference brings together scientists,
managers, interest groups, and the public to address the protection and
restoration of the Bay-Delta Estuary. (March)

•awarded $50,000 to Greenbelt Alliance to produce the 2012
edition of At Risk: The Bay Area Greenbelt, which will contain maps of risks to
open space lands in the San Francisco Bay area, an evaluation of policy
measures to conserve open space, and information about the resource values of
these lands. The report has been produced since 1989 and is well used by
conservationists and elected officials. The new edition will contain extensive
data presented in an interactive online map. (September)

•provided $50,000 to Bay Area Clean Water Agencies, a joint
powers authority, to administer funding for Bay Area Integrated Regional Water
Management Plan projects. The plan is addressing the region’s needs and
objectives for water supply, water quality, and floodwater management and sets
forth a strategy to meet those needs and objectives. Considerable funding is
available for projects in the region and the costs to administer that funding
is being shared by several government agencies. (November)

For San Francisco, the Conservancy:

•awarded $650,000 to the Golden Gate National Parks
Conservancy to improve segments of the California Coastal Trail and Bay Area
Ridge Trail in the Presidio of San Francisco. The improvements will affect more
than a mile of trails south of the Golden Gate Bridge and include a new link to
the Rob Hill Campground. The improvements are part of a greater effort to
create a loop of trails allowing hikers and bikers to explore the Presidio
forest, historic districts, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay shore, and ocean
overlooks. (September)

•provided $150,000 to Island Conservation, a nonprofit
organization, to plan for the eradication of invasive house mice in the
Farallon National Wildlife Refuge, which includes the Farallon Islands. The
islands host the largest seabird breeding colony in the United States outside
of Alaska and Hawaii, providing habitat for thirty percent of California’s
breeding seabirds. The non-native house mice have altered the islands’
ecosystem and are predators of eggs and chicks, making them a significant
threat to populations of seabird species. (January)

•authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
provide $70,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to the Port of San
Francisco to construct a ¾-mile section of the San Francisco Bay Trail along
Cargo Way in the Bayview/Hunter’s Point District. The trail section will run
from Jennings Street at the entrance to Heron’s Head Park to Third Street near
Islais Creek, closing a significant gap in the Bay Trail between the City’s
southeast waterfront and a principal gateway to downtown. Trail users will be
separated from auto traffic by a curb and fencing, particularly benefitting
cyclists who now must contend with industrial truck traffic. (May)

For Bayside and Inland San Mateo County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $1.85 million to Ducks Unlimited for the
restoration of wetlands at Middle Bair Island. The project will restore tidal
flows to 571 acres and improve an additional 307 acres of existing wetlands.
The restoration follows a decades-long public campaign to save the wetlands on
Inner, Middle, and Outer Bair Islands and restore their marshes, which are home
to a wide variety of waterfowl and other wildlife. The funding is available
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State
Department of Water Resources. (May)

•contributed $500,000 to the Midpeninsula Regional Open
Space District’s purchase of the 97-acre Silva property for addition to Russian
Ridge Open Space Preserve near the town of La Honda. The purchase will greatly
improve the public’s ability to get to Mindego Hill, a prominent 2,143-foot
peak, and provides an excellent opportunity to develop a parking lot on Alpine
Road. The property is in the midst of 5,000 acres of protected land in the
Santa Cruz Mountains and supports a wide variety of wildlife, including
mountain lions, coyotes, badgers, and raptors. (May)

•provided $250,000 to the County to improve a 0.84-mile
section of the Crystal Springs Regional Trail adjacent to Crystal Springs
Reservoir to accommodate hikers, bikers, wheelchair riders, and equestrians.
The improvements will include repaving, culvert repair, and installation of
benches, signs, information kiosks, fencing, and a restroom. The regional trail
is mostly complete and will one day run for 17½ miles between San Bruno and
Woodside. (July)

•authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
provide $245,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to East Palo Alto to
construct a 0.92-mile trail around the perimeter of the planned Cooley Landing
Park on the San Francisco Bay shoreline. The trail will connect to the San
Francisco Bay Trail and accommodate hikers, bikers, and wheelchair riders.
Cooley Landing is a nine-acre peninsula that the City has targeted for a park
since 2003. (July)

For Santa Clara County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $68,000 to the Santa Clara County Open Space
Authority to construct a 5.8-mile segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail in the
Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve east of San Jose. The new segment offers
sweeping views of the bay and surrounding mountain ranges and links to an
existing trail from San Jose’s Alum Rock Park. The trail accommodates hikers,
bikers, and wheelchair riders and is being considered for future use by
equestrians. (July)

For Alameda County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $1 million to the East Bay Regional Park
District’s purchase of the 955-acre Owen property for addition to Pleasanton
Ridge Regional Park. The property contains a mosaic of woodland, grassland,
scrub, and creekside habitats and offers excellent opportunities for a new staging
area and trails to existing portions of the park. The 6,500-acre park runs from
Dublin to Sunol on the ridge separating the East Bay from Pleasanton and the
Livermore Valley. (May)

•authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
provide $200,000 from an earlier Conservancy block grant to the City of Oakland
for construction of a San Francisco Bay Trail segment between Fruitvale Avenue
and High Street along the Oakland Estuary. The 0.1-mile segment will close a
gap in the 6.6-mile Oakland Waterfront Trail portion of the Bay Trail that will
one day run between downtown Oakland and Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional
Shoreline near the airport. The segment will be composed of concrete on steel
piles at the edge of the estuary. (July)

•awarded $190,000 to Zone 7 Water Agency, a special
government district, for updating its Stream Management Master Plan for about
100 miles of stream corridors in the Alameda Creek watershed in eastern Alameda
County. The updated plan will integrate designs for improved fish and wildlife
habitats with measures to improve flood management, groundwater recharge, and
water quality. The project will build on Conservancy-supported work in the
lower reaches of Alameda Creek, which is widely considered to offer the best
opportunity in the Bay Area to restore stream habitat for recovery of the
threatened steelhead trout. (November)

For Contra Costa County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $2.5 million to Save Mount Diablo’s purchase
of the 1,080-acre Bertagnolli Ranch adjacent to Mount Diablo State Park. The
purchase will protect a variety of wildlife habitats including blue oak and
other woodlands, desert scrub, grasslands, and chaparral. The property has long
been targeted for conservation and may one day become part of the State Park. (November)

For Solano County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $3.1 million to the Solano Land Trust’s
purchase of 1,500 acres of the Rockville Trails Estates property in the Vaca
Mountains west of Fairfield. The property lies in the southern end of the
800,000-acre Blue Ridge-Berryessa Natural Area, a swath of biologically diverse
habitats that is being assembled and protected by a consortium of government
agencies and private organizations. The property contains native woodlands and
grazing land along with a planned alignment for six miles of the Bay Area Ridge
Trail. (May)

•provided $140,000 to the City of Benicia to plan for the
restoration of about 15 acres of the Benicia waterfront at the foot of First
Street, two miles west of the Benicia-Martinez Bridge. The area is lacking in
visitor amenities but offers spectacular views of the Carquinez Strait, has a
rich history of waterfront uses, and contains beaches, marshlands, and a
community green. The Conservancy has worked with the City to improve its
waterfront for more than 20 years. (September)

For Napa County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $1.5 million to the Napa County Regional Parks and
Open Space District to create the Lake Berryessa Environmental Education Camp
on the Putah Creek arm of Lake Berryessa. The camp will be built on the 15-acre
site of a former Boy Scout camp and will be the County’s first outdoor
environmental education camp. It will primarily target school-aged children and
will offer opportunities for water recreation, hiking, horseback riding, and
nature observation. (March)

•provided $400,000 to the County to retrofit the Zinfandel
Lane Bridge over the Napa River near St. Helena to remove a significant barrier
to Chinook salmon and steelhead trout migrations. The retrofit—completed in
October—made about 90 miles of historic spawning and rearing habitat upstream
of the bridge much more accessible to the fish and improved the river’s
environment for about 14 other native fish species. The project also improved
the structural integrity of the historic bridge, which dates to 1913. (March)

For Bayside and Inland Sonoma County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $750,000 to the purchase by LandPaths, a
conservation organization, of a remainder interest in the 120-acre Ranchero
Mark West property in the heart of the Mayacamas Mountains northeast of Santa
Rosa. The current owners will retain a life estate in the property and continue
to reside there and make the property available for public access and
environmental education programs. LandPaths’ purchase will ensure that the
property remains protected and available to the public in perpetuity. (May)

•provided $55,000 to the Sonoma County Agricultural
Preservation and Open Space District to prepare plans and environmental
documentation for the East-Slope Sonoma Mountain Ridge Trail. The proposed
1¼-mile trail will extend from Jack London State Historic Park and will be part
of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. (March)

•awarded $152,000 to Sonoma County Regional Parks for the
construction of a ¼-mile segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail at Highway 12 on
the eastern edge of Santa Rosa. The new segment will link existing routes of
the trail that lead to Annadel State Park and Hood Mountain Regional Park and
will provide a far safer crossing of Highway 12 than currently exists.
(September)

•provided $100,000 to the Sonoma County Agricultural
Preservation and Open Space District to plan and design a three-mile segment of
the Bay Area Ridge Trail in the Calabazas Creek Open Space Preserve north of
Glen Ellen. The plan will also include a staging area on the floor of Sonoma
Valley and a three-mile trail connection leading to the Ridge Trail alignment
on the rim of the Mayacamas Mountains. The design is the first step toward
opening the 1,280-acre preserve to public use. (September)

For Bayside and Inland Marin County, the Conservancy:

•provided $4 million to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
for the completion of the 648-acre Hamilton Wetlands restoration in Novato, one
of the largest tidal marsh restoration projects in San Francisco Bay. The
Conservancy has been a leader in the effort to restore the wetlands since 1995
and the bulk of construction for the restoration is expected to be completed in
2012. The federal government is providing most of the project’s funding and the
State Wildlife Conservation Board will reimburse the Conservancy for its
current contribution. (March)

NORTH COAST

For the Coastside of Marin County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $450,000 to the County’s purchase of a 21-acre
forested property on San Geronimo Ridge near the town of Forest Knolls. The
property contains valuable wildlife habitat and offers an excellent opportunity
for a new public access route to the adjacent Gary Giacomini Open Space
Preserve. The property has long been subject to development proposals and
efforts to block recreational access. (September)

For the Coastside of Sonoma County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $650,000 to the Sonoma County Agricultural
Preservation and Open Space District’s purchase of a conservation easement over
the 495-acre Bordessa Ranch on the Estero Americano. The easement will protect
the property’s wildlife habitat and prevent its subdivision, helping to ensure
its continued use as rangeland for cattle. The Conservancy also awarded a
$50,000 grant to Sonoma County Regional Parks Department to develop a public
access plan for the property. (November)

•contributed $240,000 to Save the Redwoods League’s
purchase of the 500-acre Raiche-McCrory property within the area known as The
Cedars near Cazadero. The Cedars comprises a unique environment characterized
by serpentine rock barrens, highly alkaline springs, Sargent cypress woodlands,
and many species of rare and endemic plants. The League expects to transfer the
property to the federal Bureau of Land Management for addition to its other
holdings in the area. (March)

•provided $150,000 to the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation
District to research and design improvements to salmon and steelhead trout
habitat at two sites within and along Green Valley Creek near Forestville. The
creek—a major tributary of the Russian River—contains valuable fish and
wildlife habitat that in some areas suffers from severe sediment deposition
that results in frequent flooding and reduced stream flows. In addition to
targeting that problem, designs will be prepared for the restoration of
historic salmon and trout breeding habitat on a former agricultural property
adjacent to the creek. (September)

•awarded $140,000 to the Sotoyome Resource Conservation
District to improve water quality and restore fish habitat in the watershed of
Austin Creek, which flows into the Russian River near Duncans Mills. The
project is aimed at reducing road-related erosion and resulting sediment flows
that smother spawning habitat for salmon and steelhead trout. The project is
the first phase of a landowner-supported program to restore the watershed of
Austin Creek, one of the Russian River’s principal tributaries. (July)

For Mendocino County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $3 million to Save-the-Redwoods League’s
purchase of 957 acres known as the Shady Dell Creek Tract within the Usal
Redwood Forest at the south end of Sinkyone Wilderness State Park. The property
lies along the coast and contains a popular visitor destination known as the
Trees of Mystery—redwood trees that have been strangely contorted by wind over
many decades. The purchase is part of a greater effort to conserve more than
50,000 acres of land in the Usal Creek and South Fork Eel River watersheds,
most of which would be managed as a working forest while protecting fish and
wildlife habitats. (January)

•contributed $2.5 million to The Conservation Fund’s
purchase of the 464-acre Smith Tract portion of the Ten Mile Ranch along
Highway 1 north of Fort Bragg. The property contains a variety of natural
communities including redwood/Douglas fir forest, coastal prairie, and
freshwater, brackish, and salt marshes along Ten Mile River. The river’s
estuary—much of which is found on the ranch—is critical habitat for Chinook and
coho salmon. The purchase is the first of two planned phases of an effort to
protect the entire 1,339-acre ranch through a conservation easement. (January)

•contributed $2.21 million to the Trust for Public Land’s
purchase of the southern 123 acres of the Point Arena Ranch in the City of
Point Arena. The undeveloped property offers spectacular ocean views from high
bluff tops, is immediately accessible from Highway 1, and provides an excellent
site for extension of the California Coastal Trail. The remaining 409 acres of
the ranch are targeted for acquisition in 2012 and the entire property is
slated for conveyance to the federal Bureau of Land Management. (November)

•awarded $46,000 to the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy to
plan and design trails on two blufftop parcels north of Gualala. One site, at Getchell
Cove, is the target site for a half-mile section of the California Coastal
Trail. The other site—the Milhollin parcel—will contain a short trail from the
highway that will offer dramatic ocean views. (September)

•provided $22,000 to the Coastal Land Trust to maintain and
improve Seaside Beach, north of Fort Bragg, and the Heritage Trail, north of
Albion. Seaside Beach straddles Highway 1 and contains natural areas and a
sandy beach that attracts an estimated 175,000 visitors annually. The Heritage Trail
leads from a small parking area on Highway 1 down a wooden stairway and
boardwalk to Dark Gulch Beach. (May)

For Humboldt County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $2 million to the Humboldt County Resource
Conservation District for the Salt River Ecosystem Restoration Project near
Ferndale for natural resource restoration and farmland protection. The project
involves tidal marsh restoration on the 440-acre Riverside Ranch property,
restoration of more than seven miles of the historic Salt River channel, erosion-reduction
projects on private lands in the surrounding Wildcat Hills, and long-term
adaptive maintenance and management of the project area. $1 million of the
awarded funds was made available by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (May)

•provided $525,000 to the City of Eureka for design and
construction of the Truesdale Vista Point trailhead at the northern end of a
planned 1.2-mile section of the Elk River Trail, a part of the California
Coastal Trail. The trail will run through the Elk River Wildlife Sanctuary and
serve hikers, bikers, and users of nonmotorized watercraft. The trailhead’s
amenities will include 23 parking spaces, a restroom, picnic facilities, and a
wildlife viewing area. A portion of the funding will also be used for cleanup
of homeless encampments in the vicinity and for a feasibility study aimed at
additional trail development and wildlife habitat improvements on a nearby
parcel. (January)

•provided $315,000 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to
acquire the 36-acre Senestraro property along Martin Slough on the Eureka city
limits. The purchase will allow restoration of the property to improve water
quality, manage floodwaters, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and protect and
improve grazing land. Martin Slough flows to the Elk River and contains
valuable but degraded habitat for coho salmon, waterfowl, and other wildlife.
(May)

•awarded $26,000 to the City of Arcata for the design and
installation of interpretive and directional signs at the Arcata Marsh and
Wildlife Sanctuary. The signs will describe the marsh system’s rich and diverse
natural resources and help guide visitors through five miles of walking and
biking paths. The Conservancy’s work with the City to protect and improve the
sanctuary dates to 1978. (September)

•granted $15,000 to the County to design public access
improvements and protect cultural resources at Big Lagoon County Park north of
Trinidad. The planning covers improvements to allow people with disabilities to
use park campsites, installation of a boat wash station, replacement of a
floating dock, and protections for the O-púyweg Yurok village site. (May)

For Del Norte County, the Conservancy:

•provided $145,000 to the National Park Service for initial
planning and design work aimed at construction of a new Redwood National and
State Parks hostel. The new facility will replace a hostel that operated from
1987 to 2010, providing low-cost accommodations to thousands of visitors. The
old structure was built in 1877 and was closed because of concerns about its
seismic safety and overall deterioration. The new hostel will be relocated to
protect cultural resources significant to the Tolowa and Yurok peoples.
(January)

2012 Project Accomplishments

In 2012 the State Coastal Conservancy supported 87
projects located in every county along California’s coast and around San
Francisco Bay. The Conservancy’s awards totaled more than $46 million and
leveraged almost $70 million from the federal and local governments and
private organizations. The funds are being used to protect natural lands,
improve wildlife habitat, support local economies, and help people enjoy the
coast and the Bay Area. The majority of the Conservancy’s funding came from
resources bond acts approved by the State’s voters.

To accomplish its goals the Conservancy relies on
partnerships with local communities and more than 100 nonprofit organizations
based in all parts of the coast and around San Francisco Bay. This network
ensures that local residents inform the Conservancy about coastal needs and
opportunities and are actively involved in the Conservancy’s work.

For Public Access along the length of the coast, the
Conservancy:

•awarded $125,000 to Access Northern California to complete
its online guide to wheelchair accessible coastal parks and trails, which provides
detailed information for wheelchair riders heading to the coast. The
interactive guide, found at www.wheelingcalscoast.org, developed from the
Conservancy’s wheelchair rider’s guides for the San Francisco Bay and Los
Angeles/Orange County areas. The new funding is being used to complete the
guide’s coverage of the entire California coast and to update previously
published information. (March)

•approved funding for projects to extend and improve the
California Coastal Trail in Santa Barbara, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte
counties—information about these projects is provided in the county listings
that follow. The Coastal Trail will one day run the entire length of the coast,
linking the urban, rural, and wilderness areas that together make up California’s
world-renowned coastline. More than half of the trail is now in place, with new
segments and support facilities, such as parking areas and restrooms, being
added every year. The Conservancy also awarded $300,000 to the nonprofit
organization Coastwalk California to develop a California Coastal Trail
Association, continue the Coastal Trail signing program, and promote public use
of and support for the Coastal Trail. (October)

For Natural Resources Conservation along the coast, the
Conservancy:

•awarded $200,000 to the Resource Conservation District of
Santa Cruz County to coordinate and prepare at least three in-depth case
studies of the economic value and community benefits of conservation projects
in Sonoma, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. The work is part of the
Healthy Lands & Healthy Communities Initiative, a comprehensive planning
effort to identify priority, multi-benefit conservation projects and potential
new funding sources and mechanisms to pay for them. (December)

•awarded $721,000 to Trout Unlimited to improve habitat for
coho salmon and steelhead trout through construction of off-stream storage
facilities in four coastal watersheds. The facilities will allow water to be
stored in the winter, when streamflows are plentiful, to substitute for water
that is currently diverted in the summer, when low flows can be deadly to fish.
The watersheds are those of the Mattole River in southern Humboldt County, San
Gregorio and Pescadero creeks in San Mateo County, and Little Arthur Creek, a
tributary of the Pajaro River in Santa Cruz County. The projects build on Trout
Unlimited’s success with similar projects in other parts of the coast.
(January)

SOUTH COAST

For the length of the South Coast, the Conservancy:

•awarded $650,000 to Earth Island Institute for the
Community Wetland Restoration Grant Program, which supports community-based
restoration of coastal wetlands and other natural areas from San Diego through
Santa Barbara counties. Typical projects include replacement of invasive
vegetation with native plants, trash removal, and trail construction. All
projects must involve community participation and education. On average, the
program provides a total of about $300,000 for 10 or so projects per year. The
program is part of the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, a
partnership of 18 State and federal agencies working in concert with local
governments, conservation organizations, and the business community to acquire,
restore, and improve coastal wetlands and natural areas. (August)

For San Diego County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $950,000 for planning and construction of three
new segments of the San Diego River Trail, which one day will link communities
and parklands along the 52-mile length of the river. The County Department of
Parks and Recreation will use the funding to construct the 2½-mile Flume Trail
segment and the San Diego Association of Governments will prepare plans for the
Carlton Oaks and Qualcomm Stadium segments. The San Diego River Trail is a key
component of the developing San Diego River Park, envisioned as a greenbelt
running from the river’s headwaters in the Cleveland National Forest to its
outfall at Ocean Beach. The Conservancy also provided $55,000 to The Trust for
Public Land to prepare a plan for the protection and restoration of the San
Diego River area and the completion of the park. (December)

•provided $450,000 to the County to construct a ¾-mile
trail in Tijuana River Valley Regional Park for use by hikers, bicyclists,
equestrians, and wheelchair riders. It will link two existing trails, allowing
visitors to travel more than five miles through the park. The park contains a
variety of wildlife habitats, including dunes, marshlands, and sage scrub, and
the 22 miles of trails planned for the park will enable people to visit those
areas without threatening the health of the natural environment. (May)

•awarded $440,000 to the San Francisco Estuary Institute to
prepare the Historical Ecology Study of the Tijuana River and Estuary. SFEI
will collect historical information about lands along the Tijuana River and how
they have changed since the early days of Spanish settlements. The information
will help guide the many efforts by both the United States and Mexico to
restore and manage the Tijuana River Valley. (March)

•granted $130,000 to the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive
Association to continue its study of how sediments are transported in waters at
the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. The study will assist in
the review of current policies regarding sediment discharge and deposition in
California and may well lead to lower costs for restoration projects and better
use of sediments for beach replenishment and other purposes. The grant adds to
Conservancy funding provided in 2008 and 2009. (May)

•awarded $250,000 to the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive
Association to continue, for at least five years, its ongoing monitoring of the
physical and biological characteristics of Los Peñasquitos Lagoon adjacent to
Torrey Pines State Reserve. The monitoring, which began in 1987, has been
essential to understanding the dynamic processes that affect the health of the
lagoon and the effectiveness of restoration and management efforts. (May)

•granted $77,000 to the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy for
continued technical studies and environmental documentation necessary for
restoration of San Elijo Lagoon in Encinitas. The work will lead to improved
water circulation and wildlife habitats and a program for the lagoon’s
long-term maintenance and management. Although severely degraded, the lagoon is
a valuable component of the network of habitats for birds and fish along the
South Coast. The grant adds to almost $1.9 million of Conservancy funding
awarded since 2008. (December)

For San Diego and Orange Counties, the Conservancy:

•provided $70,000 to the Maritime Museum of San Diego for
the Festival of Sail held at the Port of San Diego and the Tall Ship Festival
held at Dana Point Harbor in 2012. The highly popular festivals featured visits
from historic tall ships and working craft from around the world together with
educational activities and live entertainment that called attention to the
importance of the two waterfronts. (May)

For Orange County the Conservancy

•awarded $1.5 million to the City of Laguna Beach for its
purchase of the 56-acre McGehee property for addition to the adjacent Aliso and
Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, a 3,873-acre County park just east of Laguna
Beach. The property features a hiking trail that connects to the adjacent
parkland and to regional trails within the South Coast Wilderness system of
canyons, parks, and preserves. The property offers sweeping views of the coast
and inland hills and contains habitat for a variety of native wildlife. The
Conservancy also provided $160,000 to the Laguna Canyon Foundation to design
and install signs for the park that will provide more than 120,000 annual
visitors with directions to and along the park’s many miles of trails together
with information about park resources and regulations. (August and October)

•granted $14,000 to the Crystal Cove Alliance to purchase
four beach wheelchairs for use by visitors to Crystal Cove State Park. The
wheelchairs have large balloon tires for traveling over sand and can be pushed
by most adults. Similar wheelchairs have been available for several years and
are well-used by the public. (December)

For Los Angeles County, the Conservancy:

•made $6.5 million available for engineering and technical
studies necessary for restoration of the 600-acre Ballona Wetlands Ecological
Reserve along Santa Monica Bay. The studies will lead to improved habitat for
fish, birds, and other wildlife, better flood protection, and opportunities for
people to experience a coastal wetland in the heart of urban Los Angeles. This
is the most recent step in decades of restoration efforts by many government
agencies, private conservation organizations, and the local community.
(January)

•provided $2.92 million to the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority to purchase five adjacent undeveloped lots on Las Tunas
Beach in Malibu. The purchase preserved unrestricted ocean views from Pacific
Coast Highway and offers an opportunity to develop the lots into a new public
beach. The Conservancy has a long history of helping people get to and enjoy
the world famous beaches of Malibu. (March)

•awarded $470,000 to the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority to prepare a comprehensive plan for development of new
public accessways to Malibu beaches. The plan will focus on 12 potential access
points located along the length of Malibu’s shoreline. (December)

•provided $715,000 to The River Project, a nonprofit
organization, to develop standard plans for capturing rainwater on residential
properties. The Rainwater Harvesting Project will recruit at least two dozen
San Fernando Valley homeowners to install and maintain a variety of
rain-harvest demonstration projects on their properties for a minimum of two
years, with the resulting information used to guide similar water conservation
efforts throughout greater Los Angeles. The project is part of the City of Los
Angeles Green Streets Initiative, which aims to capture and use storm water and
reduce flows of polluted water to the ocean. (January)

•awarded $300,000 to the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority to construct Milton Street Park along the Ballona Creek
Bike Path east of Marina del Rey in the City of Los Angeles. The 1.2-acre park
will serve as a gateway to the popular trail and a rest area for hikers and
bikers using the trail. (December)

For Ventura County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $111,000 to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy to
prepare a feasibility study and preliminary designs for an Education and
Conservation Center at the Ventura River Steelhead Preserve. The center is
proposed for an old residence on the historic Hollingsworth Ranch, purchased in
2011 with funding, in part, from the Coastal Conservancy. Proposed uses for the
center include a visitor center, environmental research and education, and
community meetings and events. (May)

CENTRAL COAST

For the length of the Central Coast, the Conservancy:

•awarded $60,000 to UC-Santa Cruz to research the effects
of shark attacks on the population of southern sea otters. Earlier
Conservancy-funded research investigated risks to sea otters caused by human
behavior, and those studies discovered a sharp rise in the frequency of lethal
shark attacks. The new research is attempting to provide better understanding
of the causes of these attacks. (May)

For Santa Barbara County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $300,000 to the City of Santa Barbara to improve
passage for steelhead trout in the lower channel of Mission Creek. The project
will modify two concrete flood-control channels that currently block migrating
southern steelhead—an endangered species—from historic spawning and rearing
habitat upstream. The work is necessary for the success of other fish-passage
projects in the creek. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
contributed $100,000 of the awarded funds. (October)

•provided $200,000 to the City of Santa Barbara to
reconstruct the lower portion of the public stairway to Mesa Lane Beach. For
more than 30 years, the Mesa Lane stairs, a part of the California Coastal
Trail, have enabled countless beachgoers to reach the sandy beach at the bottom
of a 140-foot bluff. The lower stairs, however, have deteriorated to the point
that they are becoming hazardous and could wash away in a powerful storm. The
new stairs have been designed to survive 50 years of heavy use, winter storms,
and sea level rise. (May)

•awarded $100,000 to the Santa Barbara Trails Council for
design and permitting of a 2.1-mile segment of the California Coastal Trail
through the Sperling Preserve on Ellwood Mesa in Goleta. The trail will connect
Goleta neighborhoods to the north, UC Santa Barbara and Coal Oil Point Nature
Preserve lands to the east, and the scenic rural lands along the Gaviota Coast
to the west. The Sperling Preserve attracts many visitors but the existing
informal trails and beach pathways are in poor condition and in some areas
harmful to wildlife habitats. (March)

•granted $50,000 to the City of Santa Barbara to update the
Goleta Slough Management Plan by adding a study that examines ways to adapt to
sea level rise. Rising sea levels could dramatically affect the area of the low-lying
slough, which contains valuable wildlife habitat surrounded by a regional
airport, two district sanitary facilities, many roads, and a variety of other
facilities critical to the community. Without advance planning, the slough
could be subject to devastating loss of wildlife habitat along with hundreds of
millions of dollars of direct damages to structures and facilities and
resulting losses to the local economy. (January)

For San Luis Obispo County, the Conservancy:

•made $400,000 available to prepare final design, permit,
and environmental review documents for development of a campground at Port San
Luis Harbor overlooking San Luis Obispo Bay. The campground will provide
low-cost accommodations—scarce along most of California’s coast—for up to 300
visitors at a time. The Port San Luis Harbor District will lease the site and
the Conservancy will share in future campground revenues. (December)

•provided $40,000 to California State Parks for the design
and permitting of a planned campground at the site of the former Piedras
Blancas Motel within Hearst San Simeon State Park on the coast. The site offers
an ideal opportunity to provide low- and moderate-cost tent and RV camping to
visitors at the southern end of Big Sur. (October)

For Monterey County, the Conservancy:

•made $27.5 million of new funding available for the
removal of San Clemente Dam on the Carmel River. The obsolete dam poses a
significant threat to downstream lives and property and is a barrier to the
migration of steelhead trout. The Conservancy has been working for the dam’s
removal since 2000 with several government agencies, conservation
organizations, and California American Water, which owns the dam and is
contributing $49 million to the project. The bulk of the Conservancy’s award comes
from a number of State and federal agencies and private sources. (August)

•contributed $1 million to the Monterey Peninsula Regional
Park District’s purchase of the 317-acre Whisler Wilson Ranch east of Point
Lobos for addition to the 4,350-acre Palo Corona Regional Park. The purchase
will greatly increase the public’s ability to reach that park and will also
enable the opening of the neighboring Point Lobos Ranch State Park, acquired in
2004 but closed to the public for lack of access. The ranch offers spectacular
views of Carmel Bay and inland mountains and contains a variety of habitats
that are home to threatened and endangered wildlife. (October)

•provided $600,000 to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation for
design and permitting prior to the restoration of tidal marsh and adjacent
uplands in Elkhorn Slough. The marshlands of the slough are disappearing at a
rapid rate because of diking and draining, increased tidal flooding, and bank
erosion, resulting in losses of highly productive fish and wildlife habitat.
The planned restoration will raise the elevation of 50 acres of marsh through
addition of sediments and restore 50 acres of grasslands to create a buffer
between the estuary and farmland. (May)

•awarded $404,000 to the Elkhorn Slough Foundation to
reconstruct a damaged levee and relocate and expand a dock at Whistlestop
Lagoon in Elkhorn Slough. The damaged levee restricts water flow to and from
the 13-acre lagoon and interferes with movements of fish and wildlife between
the lagoon and neighboring waters. The project will replace a portion of the
levee with a bridge that will greatly improve water flows and quality and allow
people to safely cross to the popular Hummingbird Island and the slough’s main
channel. A floating dock will also be relocated and lengthened to reduce
disturbance to lagoon wildlife habitats. (August)

For Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, the Conservancy:

•provided $100,000 to the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation
to produce a study that examines how shoreline areas may be vulnerable from
future sea level rise in Monterey Bay. Some of the State’s highest rates of
shoreline erosion are already found around Monterey Bay and the expected rise
in sea levels will only exacerbate the resulting damage. The study will help
local communities plan for and protect against future flooding and coastal
erosion. (January)

For Santa Cruz County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $156,000 to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County to
plan for the restoration of natural resources in the Watsonville Slough area.
The goals of the planning are to improve and protect wetlands, manage
floodwaters, protect farmland, and help people get to and enjoy the area. The
funding comes from a grant received by the Conservancy from the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grant program, and it
follows many years of work by the Conservancy and other State, federal, and
private agencies and organizations. (January)

For the Coastside of San Mateo County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $200,000 to the California State Parks Foundation
to produce detailed construction drawings for the restoration of the Pigeon
Point Light Station south of Pescadero. Tours of the lighthouse were suspended
in 2001 when chunks of brick and iron began falling 115 feet from the top of the
lighthouse to the ground, and nothing short of a major restoration is needed to
save the structure and re-open it to the public. The 150-year-old light station
features the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast and attracts more than
100,000 visitors annually. (May)

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

For the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Conservancy:

•provided $2.56 million to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service for the construction of tidal wetlands and pond habitats near Alviso in
Santa Clara County. The work is part of the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration
Project, which aims to restore 15,100 acres of former salt ponds to tidal
wetlands and ponds managed for wildlife habitat. The project will improve the
quality of bay waters, moderate the effects of storms and shoreline flooding,
and assist bay communities in adapting to sea level rise. The California
Department of Water Resources provided $1.2 million of the Conservancy’s grant
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided $700,000. The Conservancy
also made $546,000—most of which was provided by the U.S. EPA—available for
research into the risks of environmental contamination by mercury at the former
salt ponds. (January and October)

•made $550,000 available for the Living Shorelines Project,
which aims to restore underwater wildlife habitats in San Francisco Bay and
help communities prepare for the rise in sea level that is expected to result
from climate change. The funding follows $1 million awarded in 2010 and will be
used for two pilot projects on the San Rafael shoreline in Marin County and
offshore from Eden Landing Ecological Reserve in Hayward, Alameda County. The
projects will examine the ability of restored native oyster and eelgrass beds
to protect shoreline areas that are vulnerable to seal level rise and shoreline
erosion. The State Wildlife Conservation Board is providing $300,000 of the
available funding. (March)

•made $684,000 available for the ongoing effort to
eradicate invasive Spartina, non-native varieties of cordgrass that threaten native
wildlife habitats in and around San Francisco Bay. The Conservancy has been
working since 1999 to eradicate the noxious weeds and the effort has succeeded
in reducing the range of the infestation from a high of 800 acres to an
estimated 45 acres at the end of 2011. Formerly infested sites are now being
replanted with native vegetation. The funding for this stage of the project
came from the Port of Oakland. (August)

•awarded $390,000 to the San Francisco Parks Alliance to
conduct conservation planning in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area,
including outreach and coordination among public and private conservation
organizations. Activities will be undertaken through the Bay Area Open Space
Council, which includes more than 50 nonprofit conservation organizations and
public land-management agencies that work throughout the Bay Area. (December)

•granted $100,000 to the American Farmland Trust to
complete the Bay Area Agricultural Sustainability Plan for the support of
working farms in the San Francisco Bay Area. The objectives of the plan are to
expand production on local farms, develop regional markets, and assist farmers
in getting their products to consumers. (March)

•approved funding for projects to extend and improve the
San Francisco Bay Trail in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Sonoma
counties—information about these projects is provided in the county listings
that follow. The Bay Trail will one day encircle San Francisco and San Pablo
bays with a continuous 500-mile network of bicycling and hiking trails along or
near the shoreline. About 310 miles of the trail—over 60 percent of its
ultimate length—have been completed.

•approved funding for projects to extend and improve the
Bay Area Ridge Trail in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Contra Costa counties—information
about these projects is provided in the county listings that follow. The Ridge
Trail will one day contain a continuous 550-mile network of hiking, bicycling,
and equestrian trails on the ridgelines encircling San Francisco and San Pablo Bays.
About 340 miles of the trail are now open to the public.

For San Francisco, the Conservancy:

•awarded $617,000 to the Port of San Francisco to improve
public access to San Francisco’s southeast waterfront by removing
creosote-treated pilings at Pier 84 in Islais Creek and preparing plans for the
renovation of the Copra Crane as a waterfront/labor-history landmark. Pier 84’s
pilings leach toxins into the creek, block views of San Francisco Bay and the
creek, and are a navigational hazard. The deteriorating five-story crane is the
last remaining artifact on the City’s waterfront from the days when
longshoremen used hand-operated machinery to offload shipments from bulk cargo
vessels. The funding comes from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
and West Coast Recycling Company. (December)

•provided $400,000 to the San Francisco Planning and Urban
Research Association to follow through with recommendations in the Ocean Beach
Master Plan, in particular closure of the Great Highway south of Sloat Boulevard.
SPUR will prepare plans to reconfigure roadways, extend public transit, and
improve parking in the area. SPUR will also develop a joint management
framework and agreement among the multiple agencies with management
responsibilities for Ocean Beach. The five-mile length of Ocean Beach makes it
one of the longest urban beaches in the country and it has the potential to
become one of the most spectacular metropolitan beaches in the world. The Ocean
Beach Master Plan was largely funded by the Conservancy and released in early
2012. (January)

•granted $250,000 to The Exploratorium to construct indoor
and outdoor exhibits highlighting the history and natural environment of San
Francisco Bay at the museum’s new site on Piers 15 and 17. The exhibits will
include a Bay History Walk along a section of the San Francisco Bay Trail and
hands-on, interactive exhibits that make use of the immediate bayfront
location. The funding will also support a series of public workshops that will
bring experts in a variety of fields to explore ideas about the science and
environment of the bay. (October)

For Bayside and Inland San Mateo County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $282,000 to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space
District to construct a 69-space parking lot, restrooms, connector trails, and
other improvements to the San Francisco Bay Area Ridge Trail at El Corte de
Madera Creek Open Space Preserve on Skyline Boulevard. The preserve’s dramatic
scenery, rugged terrain, and 36 miles of interior trails make it a popular
destination, but it has no formal parking area or trails that are accessible to
the disabled. The work is the first of four phases of construction that will
ultimately include a new two-mile section of the Ridge Trail through the
preserve. (March)

•provided $200,000 to Ducks Unlimited to restore wetlands
at Middle Bair Island in Redwood City. The project will restore tidal flows to
571 acres and improve an additional 307 acres of existing wetlands. The
restoration follows a decades-long public campaign to save the wetlands on
Inner, Middle, and Outer Bair Islands and restore their marshlands, which are
home to a wide variety of waterfowl and other wildlife. The funding follows
$1.89 million awarded for the project in 2011. (August)

For Santa Clara County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $500,000 to The Nature Conservancy’s purchase
of the 1,155-acre Nolan Ranch on the side of Mount Hamilton east of San Jose.
The ranch has since been added to Joseph D. Grant County Park and links the
park to the lands of UC-Santa Cruz’s Lick Observatory, expanding a nearly
70-mile stretch of protected lands from Pleasanton to Pacheco Pass. The
purchase preserves migratory routes for wildlife, protects drinking water in
downstream reservoirs, and provides a site for public trails that will include
an extension of the Bay Area Ridge Trail to Mount Hamilton. (May)

•contributed $750,000 to the Peninsula Open Space Trust’s
purchase of 490 acres adjacent to Mount Madonna County Park west of Gilroy. The
property is slated for addition to the park and offers excellent opportunities
to expand the regional trails network. A variety of high-quality wildlife
habitats are found on the property including a portion of Little Arthur Creek,
one of the County’s most productive spawning streams for steelhead trout.
(October)

•contributed $250,000 to the Peninsula Open Space Trust’s
purchase of a scenic 358-acre property adjacent to Uvas Reservoir County Park
near Morgan Hill. The County expects to manage the property as an addition to
the neighboring parkland and eventually to assume ownership. The property is
home to many native species of plants and wildlife and was once slated for
large-scale residential development. (October)

•awarded $169,000 to the County for construction and
upgrade of segments of the Bay Area Ridge Trail at Sanborn Park in the Santa
Cruz Mountains near Saratoga. The work will include a new 3.2-mile segment of
the John Nicholas Trail and upgrades to 4.9 miles of the Skyline Trail—both
part of the Ridge Trail—and will open the park to bicyclists for the first
time. The project will create a continuous 22-mile Ridge Trail corridor from
Lake Ranch in Sanborn Park northward to the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve.
(May)

For Alameda County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $750,000 to the East Bay Regional Park
District’s acquisition of 1,368 acres for addition to Pleasanton Ridge Regional
Park north of Sunol. The rugged property contains a variety of wildlife
habitats in excellent condition and offers opportunities to greatly expand the
trail system on neighboring parkland. (October)

•awarded $175,000 to the Alameda County Resource
Conservation District to support the Alameda County Wildlife-Friendly Pond
Restoration Program, which helps ranchers restore livestock ponds to benefit
both cattle and wildlife. Many species of wildlife, including the threatened
California red-legged frog and California tiger salamander, have long depended
on stock ponds, but most of the 800-1,000 ponds in the eastern county
rangelands are failing and the repair costs are not economical for ranchers.
The program has been responsible for the restoration of 20 ponds since 2006.
(October)

•provided $150,000 to the East Bay Regional Park District
to design and obtain permits for improvements to Albany Beach in Eastshore
State Park. The planned improvements include a new section of the San Francisco
Bay Trail, an enhanced sandy beach, restored dunes and other native habitats,
and a parking lot, restrooms, and other facilities for visitors. Albany Beach
lies between the Golden Gate Fields horse racing track and the bay—a location
that is expected to become very popular with visitors to the bay shoreline. The
funding came from Caltrans as mitigation required by the San Francisco Bay
Conservation and Development Commission. (March)

For Contra Costa County, the Conservancy:

•provided $2.17 million to the East Bay Regional Park
District for wetlands restoration and trail construction at Breuner Marsh in
the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. The work will include removal of imported
fill and hazardous materials, replacement of invasive vegetation with native
plants, and dredging of channels to improve water circulation. A 1½-mile
extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail will also be constructed on the
uplands portion of the 150-acre site, along with a parking lot, restroom,
picnic area, and spur trail to an overlook. The Conservancy’s award included
$920,000 of grant funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (August)

•contributed $500,000 to the East Bay Regional Park
District’s purchase of 51 acres of the Pacific Custom Materials Property to
expand and improve Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline between Martinez and
Port Costa. The property lies between two existing Regional Shoreline
properties and offers opportunities for a campground, an extension of the San
Francisco Bay Trail, and a landing site for the Bay Area Water Trail. (October)

•awarded $1.37 million to the Brentwood Agricultural Land
Trust to acquire agricultural conservation easements over the 166-acre Stenzel
property near Brentwood. The property contains highly productive farmland
within the County’s designated Agricultural Core. The easements will limit any
future division of the property and help to ensure that the farmland remains in
production. (May)

•awarded $500,000 to the City of Richmond to “daylight” and
restore a 750-foot length of Baxter Creek and establish a four-acre greenbelt
at the Miraflores Green Housing Project. The City will remove the culvert that
now contains most of the creek at the site and restore the creek’s floodplain
with natural meanders for the creek channel and native plants. The greenway
will include a trail that links to the San Francisco Bay Trail along with a
pedestrian bridge over the creek and community gardens. Local community groups,
including Groundwork Richmond and Friends of the Richmond Greenway, will assist
with the greenway’s maintenance. (October)

•authorized the Association of Bay Area Governments to
provide $198,000 of Conservancy funds to the East Bay Regional Park District to
construct ½ mile of the San Francisco Bay Trail near the Bio-Rad Laboratories
campus in the City of Hercules. The trail, named the Bio-Rad Bay Trail, will be
built into the side of a bluff overlooking San Pablo Bay and extend from an
existing section of the Bay Trail in the Victoria-by-the-Bay neighborhood. The
trail will eventually be linked to the City’s planned Intermodal Transit Center
and is expected to be well used by bicyclists and pedestrians. (March)

•awarded $125,000 to the East Bay Regional Park District to
construct three miles of the Bay Area Ridge Trail known as Martinez Feeder
Trail #1 west of Martinez. The funding will also be used to survey an
additional 0.7-mile future segment of the same trail. When completed, the trail
will run from Dutra Road to Pereira Road and cross or skirt large areas of
protected natural lands. (October)

For Solano County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $292,000 to the Solano Resource Conservation
District to restore 53 acres of wildlife habitat along 1½ miles of Blue Rock
Springs Creek in Vallejo. The project includes restoration of 25 acres of
native oak woodland, creation of a 3½-acre native grassland demonstration site,
and replacement of invasive weeds with native plants. Wardlaw Elementary School
and Jesse Bethel High School are located along the creek and their students
will be actively engaged in restoring and monitoring the site as part of an
existing science education program supported by earlier Conservancy funding.
Many other community volunteers will also be working on the project. (August)

For Napa County, the Conservancy:

•provided $1 million to the County to restore portions of a
one-mile stretch of the Napa River between St. Helena and Oakville. The project
is part of a greater restoration of the river’s Rutherford Reach that aims to
reduce erosion of sediments into the river’s channel, improve habitat for
salmon and steelhead trout, expand and improve wildlife habitat along the
river’s corridor, and assist with flood management. Vintners and growers along
the river are actively participating in the project. (January)

For Bayside and Inland Sonoma County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $3.5 million to the Sonoma Land Trust to restore a
variety of wildlife habitats and construct visitor facilities at the 2,327-acre
Sears Point property on San Pablo Bay. The project will restore tidal marsh,
seasonal wetlands, upland grasslands, and creeks that together are habitats for
vast numbers of wildlife. A new 2½-mile section of the San Francisco Bay Trail
will connect existing portions of the trail from the intersection of Highways
37 and 121 to the Sonoma Baylands site on the Petaluma River. The California
Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will
reimburse the Conservancy with more than $2.2 million in grants for the
project. (January and October)

•provided $162,000 to Sonoma Land Trust for design and
permitting necessary to remove three barriers to migration of steelhead trout
on Stuart Creek, a tributary of Sonoma Creek, and to construct a public parking
lot and trail to the creek. The project aims to restore 2.2 miles of
high-quality spawning and rearing habitat for the fish and enable people to
access the Land Trust’s 3½-acre Stuart Creek Run property near Glen Ellen.
(October)

For Bayside and Inland Marin County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $200,000 to PRBO Conservation Science for its
Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (STRAW) Program to establish native
plants at the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project in Novato. Much of the
150-acre project site was recently surfaced with large volumes of materials
dredged from San Francisco Bay to create seasonal wetlands. The project is
expected to involve 1,300 to 1,600 students and teachers from local schools,
and the plantings and subsequent monitoring will be incorporated into the
schools’ science programs. (August)

•awarded $200,000 to the Marin Audubon Society to complete
the restoration of tidal wetlands at Bahia Lagoon in Novato. The project site
contains more than 400 acres of tidal and seasonal wetlands adjacent to oak
woodlands and other protected wildlife habitats. The restoration will greatly
expand habitats for fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife, and it follows the
first phase of restoration that was completed in 2009. (August)

NORTH COAST

For the Coastside of Marin County, the Conservancy:

•contributed $2.6 million to the Marin Agricultural Land
Trust’s purchase of agricultural conservation easements over the 1,194-acre
Barboni Ranch in Hicks Valley north of Nicasio. The easements will support the
continued operation of the ranch’s grazing lands while protecting its natural
resources and wildlife habitats. MALT already held conservation easements on
neighboring properties, and this purchase resulted in a protected block of more
than 9,000 acres of farmland. The California Department of Transportation
contributed $1.6 million of the Conservancy’s funding. (March and October)

•awarded $263,000 to the Marin Resource Conservation
District to help ranchers reduce soil erosion and improve water quality and
wildlife habitat in the Tomales Bay watershed. The funding is supporting work
on two ranches, one along Walker Creek and the other east of Dillon Beach. The
work will conserve ranchland, prevent eroded sediment from entering creeks that
drain to Tomales Bay, and improve habitats for a wide variety of animals
including coho salmon, river otters, and mountain lions. The projects are part
of the RCD’s Conserving Our Watershed (COW) program, and they benefit from the
Marin Coastal Watersheds Permit Coordination Program, established with
Conservancy funding provided in 2001. (October)

For the Coastside of Sonoma County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $300,000 to the Endangered Habitats Conservancy to
prepare a conceptual design for restoration of an abandoned gravel quarry on
the Russian River floodplain near Windsor. The aim of the project is to restore
the 357-acre Hanson Aggregates property to a complex of ponds, wetlands, and
forested areas that would serve as habitat for salmon and other fish and
wildlife and reduce the risk of downstream flooding. (May)

For Mendocino County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $1.36 million to the City of Fort Bragg to build
more than four miles of trails, restore native vegetation, and purchase the
four-acre Soldier Point property for addition to Noyo Headlands Park on the
former Georgia-Pacific Mill site. The new Ka Kahleh Coastal Trail—an addition
to the California Coastal Trail—will enable the public to reach the majority of
the City’s coastline for the first time in generations. The funding will also
support the construction of parking areas and other visitor facilities.
(October)

•provided $220,000 to the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness
Council to construct two trails across the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness to
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park in the remote Lost Coast. The trails—one running
for about 1.2 miles and the other for about 0.5 miles—will provide inland links
from Usal County Road to the California Coastal Trail in the State Park.
Currently, the State Park can only be reached from its southern and northern
boundaries. (October)

•awarded $79,000 to Save the Redwoods League for planning
and design of a new two-mile section of the California Coastal Trail on the
Usal-Shady Dell Creek Property in the Lost Coast. The new trail will extend
southward from the existing Lost Coast Trail in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park,
wind through the Trees of Mystery, cross Shady Dell Creek, and continue to the
rugged coastline. The 957-acre property was purchased by the League in 2011
largely with Conservancy funding. (October)

•contributed $66,000 to the California Department of Parks
and Recreation’s purchase of the 65-acre Hunt property to add to the Inglenook
Fen-Ten Mile Dunes Natural Preserve in MacKerricher State Park north of Fort
Bragg. The property is a private inholding within the park that contains a
large block of relatively pristine coastal dunes, coastal prairie, and wetlands
along Ten Mile River. (December)

•awarded $60,000 to the Mendocino Land Trust to construct ¾
miles of the California Coastal Trail to Hare Creek Beach on the southern
boundary of Fort Bragg. The beach is now accessible only from an informal trail
that is unsigned and frequently missed by hikers on the Coastal Trail. The new
trail will connect to a parking area on Redwood Community College property and
lead southward to the beach. The land trust purchased the Hare Creek Beach
property in 2010 with Conservancy funding. (August)

•granted $10,000 to the Moat Creek Managing Agency for its
continued operation and maintenance of a restroom, parking lot, and trails at
Moat Creek Beach and along the Moat Creek segment of the California Coastal
Trail south of Point Arena. The trails and facilities came about from an early
and successful Conservancy project to reduce the density of the Whiskey Shoals
subdivision west of Highway 1. (May)

For Humboldt County, the Conservancy:

•awarded $250,000 to the Coastal Ecosystems Institute of
Northern California to prepare a sea level rise adaptation plan for the
Humboldt Bay Region. The plan will help the region’s communities develop and
employ strategies to protect environmental and economic resources in the face
of a changing climate. A working group convened through the County and the
Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation District will oversee the
plan’s preparation. The Conservancy also awarded $85,000 to the Harbor District
to study the feasibility of using dredged materials to restore marshlands and
adapt to sea level rise around the bay. Materials dredged to clear shipping
channels, ports, and marinas have been invaluable for marshlands restoration
and shoreline protection in other areas—most notably San Francisco Bay.
(January and October)

•provided $224,000 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to
purchase the 20-acre Freshwater Farms Nursery on Freshwater Creek just east of
Eureka. The property adjoins 54 acres acquired by the land trust with
Conservancy funding in 2005 that have been improved for salmon and trout
habitat, agriculture, and public use. The new acquisition will allow expansion
of the tidal marsh restoration, continuation of a native plant nursery, and
extension of the neighboring site’s public trail. (January)

•provided $210,000 to the Salt River Watershed Council for
its purchase of the 23-acre Toste property on the Salt River near Ferndale.
About one-third of the property will be returned to the river’s active
floodplain and managed as part of the Salt River Ecosystem Restoration Project.
Most of the property’s remainder will be dedicated to pasture or other farming uses,
and a public trail or roadway is planned for visitors to the river and
restoration site. The goals of the restoration project include improvements to
habitat for salmon, trout, and other wildlife, management of floodwaters, and
protection of the extensive farmland along the length of the river. (May)

•awarded $235,000 to the City of Arcata to restore 212
acres of the McDaniel Slough wetlands along Arcata Bay. The work will restore
tidal flows and migratory fish passage to former salt marsh and protect neighboring
properties with new levees that will be topped with public trails. The project
is the final step in a series of property acquisitions, planning, and
restoration of neighboring areas that began in 1998. (October)

•granted $90,000 to the Redwood Community Action Agency to
prepare conceptual plans for a new section of the California Coastal Trail from
the south end of Scenic Drive near Moonstone Beach County Park to the south
bank of Little River at Little River State Beach. The new trail would close a
0.8-mile gap in the Coastal Trail that forces pedestrians and bicyclists onto
the edge Highway 101. (October)

For Del Norte County, the Conservancy:

awarded $2.35 million to the Crescent City Harbor District to
construct visitor-serving improvements, including a promenade around the Inner
Boat Basin, at the Crescent City Harbor. The improvements will include a new
½-mile section of the California Coastal Trail that will link the harbor to the
edge of downtown. The project is part of an effort to revitalize the City’s
harbor and encourage tourism, an important component of the local economy.
(October)

Accomplishments

The Coastal Conservancy serves all Californians and
visitors to the State who are interested in enjoying, improving, and protecting
the spectacular natural resources of the California coast and San Francisco
Bay.

Since its establishment in 1976, the Coastal Conservancy
has:

•completed more than 1,500 projects in every coastal county
and all nine San Francisco Bay Area counties, with hundreds more projects
currently active. These projects include construction of trails and other
public access facilities, restoration and enhancement of wetlands and other
wildlife habitat, protection of near-shore ocean waters, restoration of public
piers and urban waterfronts, preservation of farmland, and other projects in
line with the goals of California’s Coastal Act, the San Francisco Bay Plan,
the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy, and the California Ocean Protection
Act;

•helped build several hundreds of miles of accessways and
trails, including major portions of the California Coastal Trail and the San
Francisco Bay and Ridge Trails;

•assisted in the completion of more than 100 urban
waterfront projects, enabling local communities to reclaim waterfront
properties for recreational use and economic development;

•retired hundreds of lots in inappropriately planned
subdivisions throughout the coast, thereby preserving natural and scenic lands,
protecting farmland, and providing recreational opportunities;joined in partnership endeavors with more than 100 local land
trusts and other nonprofit groups, making local community involvement an
integral part of the Coastal Conservancy’s work.

The following are links to projects highlighted by year on the Conservancy's website"